Tory Lanez Pleads Not Guilty In Megan Thee Stallion Shooting

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Recording artist Tory Lanez pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony assault and gun charges after being accused of shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the Hollywood Hills. Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, is set to return to court on January 20 and could face over 22 years in state prison if convicted.

Megan Thee Stallion said Tory Lanez shot her in the foot on July 12 as she was trying to leave their SUV during an argument. The rapper said police officers drove her to a hospital, where she went through surgery to remove the bullets.

Although she initially refused to mention his name, Megan eventually named Tory as her attacker during an Instagram Live session.

"Tory shot me," she said. "You shot me and you got your publicist and your people ... lying... Stop lying."

Several of notable artists have come out to side with Megan Thee Stallion in the wake of the incident. Singer Kehlani, who released the song "Can I" alongside the Canadian rapper two months before the incident, recently removed him from the song.

"As someone with a large platform, as someone that people look up to, as a woman that makes other women feel safe and empowered, people were asking me, ‘Are you gonna keep somebody on it who doesn’t necessarily make us feel safe or empowered as a woman?'” she told Chicago radio station WGCI. "The situation was involving someone I'm extremely loyal to... so just trying to do the right thing, absolutely I'm changing the record."

Lanez has continued to maintain innocence, and routinely met Megan Thee Stallion's claims with skepticism. On one song off his recent album Daystar, he appeared to reference the incident, rapping "How the f--- you get shot in your foot ... don't hit no bones or tendons?''

In another music video, Lanez thanked God for his current situation, saying"he's using Megan as a vessel and a test of faith."

City News Service contributed to this report.