Who Is Megan Thee Stallion's Boyfriend? Pardi Breaks Silence on Shooting

As a Los Angeles jury begins deliberations over allegations Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion in her feet after an argument in July 2020, her partner, Pardison "Pardi" Fontaine, has been speaking out.

Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, stood trial on three felony charges: assault with a semiautomatic handgun; carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. He has denied all of the charges. If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of nearly 23 years.

Rapper Lanez is alleged to have shot Megan, whose real name is Megan Pete, five times in her feet after she insulted him in terms of his music career and the nature of their relationship as they drove away from a pool party at Kylie Jenner's house.

As the jury began deliberations late Thursday morning, Fontaine shared an Instagram Story post in which he addressed "any woman especially ones of color that has suffered an injustice."

He continued in his post that "when you do find the courage to speak up .. it seems you will be ridiculed .. your credibility will be questioned your entire past will be held under a magnifying glass .. in an instant you can go from victim to defendant in the eyes of the public .. to any one with a daughter Sister mother niece of aunt."

"I pray for their protection," added Fontaine, who was born Jorden Kyle Lanier Thorpe. "I pray for their covering .. I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

Who Is Megan Thee Stallion's Boyfriend?

While Megan, 27, is well known for her string of chart-topping hits, Fontaine, 32, has also made a name for himself in the music scene—both as an artist and behind the scenes.

He has collaborated with and co-written for some of the biggest names in the industry, including—but not limited to—Cardi B, Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X, Kanye "Ye" West and, of course, his girlfriend of two years, Megan.

Back in 2013, he released his first single, "Oyyy," two years before he dropped his first mixtape, Not Supposed to Be Here. Fontaine achieved wider fame in 2018, when he released his song "Backin' It Up," featuring his longtime friend Cardi B.

However, things could have been very different for Fontaine, who grew up in Newburg, New York. The musician was accepted to Goldey-Beacom College in Delaware, where he earned a full scholarship to play Division II basketball. However, his love for music led to him making the decision to drop out.

"I was always 100 percent basketball—I did everything you could do to be good at basketball," he told XXL in a 2018 interview. "Then one day I was like, 'Nah. I got a real drive and hunger for music.' It literally took over my whole purpose."

While establishing his music career, Fontaine worked as a substitute teacher at a middle school in New York's Hudson Valley. However, he was let go from his job when the school administration learned of his viral rap hit "Oyyy!"

All appears to have since been forgiven. Speaking with Billboard in 2019, Fontaine said that "the school wants me to come back," though he's now far too busy.

As for his name, Fontaine told People in 2019 that he initially went by the name Pardi McFly, inspired by Michael J. Fox's character in the Back to the Future film franchise. Then a French women's fashion brand intervened.

"I used to walk past this Anne Fontaine store all the time, and I didn't know exactly what it meant or what it sold, but I just knew 'Fontaine' sounded hella important," he told People. After discovering the French poet Jean de la Fontaine, he changed his name.

Fontaine, who has a daughter from a previous relationship, celebrated two years with Megan in October. He marked the moment by sharing a series of fun-filled photos and videos of the two spending time together.

The Felony Assault Case

Initially, Megan told doctors at the hospital she had injured herself on broken glass and denied Lanez was involved in a shooting, fearing he would get in trouble.

She said during her testimony: "This was the height of police brutality and George Floyd. I felt like if I said this man has just shot me, they might shoot first and ask questions later. I didn't want to see anybody die. I didn't want to die."

Months after the shooting, Megan told 90,000 live viewers on Instagram Live: "Tory shot me. You shot me and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs, lying, and s***. Stop lying! Why lie? I don't understand. I tried to keep the situation off the internet, but you dragging it!"

On December 13, Megan spoke in court about the frustration she felt at the reaction to her allegations, particularly when it came to male musicians.

"Every man in a position of power in the music industry has taken his side," she said, in reference to the support Lanez has received since the incident.

In November, Megan slammed fellow rapper Drake after he accused her of lying about being shot on the track "Circo Loco."

"Not a day goes by without being called a liar," Megan said in court. "This whole thing is about who I was having sex with, not who shot me, and I don't know why."

Megan confirmed earlier on the stand that she and Lanez were having a sexual relationship at the time of the shooting, something she had previously denied.

The Texas native also spoke about how at the time of the incident, she "just did a song with Beyoncé, and now she knows I got shot," adding that she "didn't want to say anything" out of embarrassment.

"I just did something I've always wanted, and now it'll be overshadowed," Megan said on the stand. "This situation has been worse for me while he's more popular—I've turned into a type of villain while he's a hero."

As for having her sexual history discussed during the trial, Megan said: "I feel disgusted, I feel dirty, my own partner is embarrassed."