The Torey Lanez timeline, what we know

At the center of the July 2020 altercation involving Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion was a volatile sequence of personal tensions, according to Lanez’s defense team. They argued that events were set in motion during a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s residence, where Megan allegedly became visibly upset over Lanez’s interactions with Jenner. The defense contended that Megan’s jealousy escalated to the point where she was asked to leave the party—an incident they portrayed as the catalyst for the subsequent confrontation inside a vehicle later that night.

Lanez’s attorneys further asserted that the emotional volatility stemmed from an undisclosed intimate relationship between Megan and Lanez.

While Megan initially denied the relationship publicly, she later confirmed it during trial proceedings. The defense maintained that this concealed relationship, combined with personal grievances and jealousy, provided essential context to understanding the night’s events.

Moreover, the defense introduced Megan’s prior 2015 arrest for assault in Austin, Texas, during the SXSW festival. By Megan’s own admission, the incident arose from a domestic dispute involving allegations of infidelity against her then-boyfriend. Though the charges were ultimately dismissed, Lanez’s defense suggested this past incident demonstrated a pattern of violent behavior relevant to evaluating her actions during the July 2020 altercation.

The prosecution, however, maintained a sharply different narrative. In August 2020, Megan publicly accused Lanez of shooting her, stating he shouted “Dance, bitch” before firing at her feet, causing injuries that required surgery. Initially, Megan told authorities she had stepped on glass, later explaining that she feared police retaliation in the tense aftermath. She later publicly identified Lanez as the shooter via Instagram Live.

Lanez, who denied the allegations both personally and through his music, faced trial on multiple felony charges. In December 2022, he was convicted on three counts: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and negligent discharge of a firearm. Megan testified about the incident and described the lasting emotional, physical, and professional toll it had inflicted upon her.

In August 2023, Lanez—legal name Daystar Peterson—was sentenced to 10 years in prison and is currently incarcerated at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. He will be eligible for parole in 2029.

Following the verdict, Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, delivered an impassioned speech outside the courtroom, denouncing the outcome as a “miscarriage of justice.” He publicly accused Roc Nation of manipulating the case and claimed the verdict was evidence of broader corruption within the music industry and legal system.

While incarcerated, Lanez continued releasing music, including his March 2025 album Peterson, which he described as the first album recorded in real-time from prison.

Most recently, on May 12, 2025, Lanez was violently attacked inside the prison by fellow inmate Santino Casio, a 42-year-old serving a life sentence for second-degree murder. Casio stabbed Lanez 14 times in the back, torso, head, and face, resulting in collapsed lungs. Lanez was hospitalized in critical condition but has since stabilized and is breathing independently.

Casio has been placed in restricted housing as prison officials and the Kern County District Attorney’s Office investigate the attack. Lanez’s legal representatives have yet to comment on the incident.