Megan Thee Stallion pens New York Times op ed entitled 'Why I Speak Up for Black Women' and discusses 'being shot by rapper Tony Lanez' and calling black Kentucky AG 'a sell out negro'
Megan Thee Stallion has spoken out against violence towards black women as she hits back at her critics in a powerful op-ed, months after she was allegedly shot by fellow rapper Tory Lanez.
The 25-year-old addressed the shooting in an essay published by the New York Times on Tuesday, as Lanez was ordered to keep 100 yards away her following a court hearing in Los Angeles.
Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, was wounded in the foot on July 12 after she was shot during an argument with Lanez in Hollywood Hills.
In an opinion piece titled, Why I Speak Up for Black Women, the WAP rapper described receiving criticism and skepticism over the incident, even after initially refusing to report her assailant to the police.
Megan Thee Stallion spoke out against violence towards black women, three months after she was allegedly shot by fellow rapper Tory Lanez (right). Lanez is charged with felony assault in connection to the shooting
Footage captured the moments after the shooting, showing Lanez and Thee Stallion lying on the ground as authorities arrive
She confirmed she and Lanez were not in a relationship at the time as some may have suspected, and said she was shot twice while walking away from the singer after a party.
'Truthfully, I was shocked that I ended up in that place,' she wrote. '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.'
Megan said the incident led her to realize that violence against women does not only occur in abusive relationships, but is a result of a wider culture of sexism.
'Instead, it happens because too many men treat all women as objects, which helps them to justify inflicting abuse against us when we choose to exercise our own free will,' she wrote.
'The issue is even more intense for black women, who struggle against stereotypes and are seen as angry or threatening when we try to stand up for ourselves and our sisters. There's not much room for passionate advocacy if you are a black woman.'
Defense attorney Shawn Holly received a protective order on Tuesday as she represents Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, who appeared by telephone for his arraignment on charges of assaulting rapper and singer Megan Thee Stallion
Megan took to Instagram on August 19 to share photos of her injuries from the hospital
Lanez tweeted after his charges were announced, saying the 'truth will come to light'
The rapper referenced her recent appearance on SNL, where she was criticized for speaking out against Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron after he declined to charge Louisville police officers with Breonna Taylor's murder.
Megan compared Cameron to 'the sell out negroes that sold our people into slavery' before diving into a speech about the 'need to protect our black women'.
In her essay, she admitted that she 'anticipated some backlash' from her harsh words but said she is not afraid of criticism.
'We live in a country where we have the freedom to criticize elected officials. And it's ridiculous that some people think the simple phrase "Protect Black women" is controversial,' she wrote.
'We deserve to be protected as human beings. And we are entitled to our anger about a laundry list of mistreatment and neglect that we suffer.'
She said the issue goes beyond the threats to women's lives and health, and encompasses the hate and criticism they face when expressing their sexuality or their appearance in general, particularly in the music industry.
Her side: In an Instagram Live in August, Megan Thee Stallion claimed Canadian rapper Tory Lanez shot her in the foot on July 12 after they had an argument and she tried to leave
In an Instagram post in July, Megan addressed the shooting without naming Lanez
'The remarks about how I choose to present myself have often been judgmental and cruel, with many assuming that I’m dressing and performing for the male gaze,' she wrote.
'When women choose to capitalize on our sexuality, to reclaim our power, like I have, we are vilified and disrespected.'
'Wouldn't it be nice if Black girls weren’t inundated with negative, sexist comments about Black women?'
Lanez, a 27-year-old Canadian rapper and singer whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was charged with felony assault and carrying an unregistered firearm in a vehicle in LA last Thursday.
Lanez was due to be arraigned Tuesday but was granted a continuance at the request of his attorney.
A judge instead issued a protective order requiring him to stay 100 yards away from Megan, TMZ reported. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of roughly 23 years.
The singer addressed the incident in a tweet last week, saying he has faith that the 'truth will come to light'.
Lanez was arrested the night of the shooting but released after posting bail. Prosecutors are recommending that his bail be set at $1.1million at his arraignment.
Megan is identified in the felony complaint only as Megan P.
She had declined to name Lanez as the person who shot her in social media posts and videos on the subject for more than a month.
But on August 20, she said in an Instagram video that 'Yes ... Tory shot me,' and urged him to 'stop lying' about the incident.
She's discussed the shooting in several often emotional Instagram videos, calling it 'super scary' and 'the worst experience of my life.'
She declined to tell police that night that she had been shot, and initial reports were only that a woman had foot injuries consistent with broken glass.
She has said that she was too frightened the situation would have escalated if she revealed to police that there had been gunfire.
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