Tory Lanez Ordered To Stay Away From Megan Thee Stallion After First Court Hearing
Tory Lanez appeared in court via a phone call yesterday (October 13) for an arraignment hearing on charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle that were brought against him by Los Angeles prosecutors last week.
According to the Associated Press, the 28-year-old rapper was asked a series of questions from the judge, to which he only responded “yes, your honor.” TMZ further reported that his attorney, Shawn Holley, requested a continuance, which was granted, so Lanez did not enter a plea. His bail was set at $190K, which he promptly posted, with his arraignment postponed until November 18.
While Lanez is out on bail, the judge did issue a protective order against him wherein he is legally required to stay at least 100 yards away from Megan Thee Stallion and cannot contact her. Additionally, the rapper was ordered to surrender any guns he owns.
The hearing occured the same day that the Houston rapper published a powerful essay in the New York Times, titled “Why I Speak Up for Black Women,” where she touched on how Black women “are still constantly disrespected and disregarded in so many areas of life.”
Using the July 12 shooting incident as an example, Megan wrote, “I was recently the victim of an act of violence by a man. After a party, I was shot twice as I walked away from him. We were not in a relationship. Truthfully, I was shocked that I ended up in that place.”
She continued, “My initial silence about what happened was out of fear for myself and my friends. Even as a victim, I have been met with skepticism and judgment. The way people have publicly questioned and debated whether I played a role in my own violent assault proves that my fears about discussing what happened were, unfortunately, warranted.”
Three months ago, on July 12, the 25-year-old Houston rapper was shot in both of her feet after Lanez reportedly fired at her following an argument. At the time, he was arrested and charged for possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle. He was released after posting $35,000 for bond. On August 21, Megan went public and named Lanez as the one who shot her which resulted in the current charges against him.
If convicted, Lanez could face a maximum sentence of roughly 23 years.
