Megan Thee Stallion Ex-Friend's Tape Played At Trial, Says Tory Lanez Fired Gun
Key findings came out during day five of the Tory Lanez trial when Megan Thee Stallion's ex-friend's recording was played. On day four, the woman, Kelsey Harris pleaded ignorance about the evening of the 2020 incident.
On Friday (December 16) — day five of the trial determining whether Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion in 2020 — a recording of Kelsey Harris, the rapper’s former assistant and friend, was played in court.
James Queally a Los Angeles Times reporter tweeted key findings from the recording. The tape determined statements Harris made on the stand during day three and four of the trial were inconsistent from previous statements she'd made of the evening Megan was shot. In the recording, Kelsey says Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion, in it, she also says Tory physically assaulted her. She added there was a conversation with Lanez but never an explicit offer.
Prosecutors played parts of the recording in an attempt to refresh Harris' memory. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford said the full interview was played because Lanez's lead attorney George Mgdesyan repeatedly questioned Harris about the interview, per Law & Crime.
The recording is important because on Wednesday after taking the stand, the former assistant failed to recall parts of a September 2022 interview that was conducted with Deputy District Attorneys Kathy Ta and Alexander Bott in addition to another investigator. She also testified that parts of that interview, in which she had given an explicit account of what happened the evening of the 2020 shooting, “weren’t accurate.”
Per Billboard following back-and-forth questioning, prosecutor Ta asked Harris if Megan had been shot. “Her team told me she stepped on glass,” Harris replied. Ta then inquired with “Who shot Meg?” To which Harris replied, “I don’t know.”
During her Thursday testimony, Harris noted that the two former friends hadn’t seen each other since the night of the shooting. Megan previously confirmed this was true.
Additionally, on Thursday, Harris rose claimed that she was the subject of “harassment” after Megan Thee Stallion posted on Instagram three days after the shooting (July 15, 2020). The rapper wrote she’d “suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me.” Kelsey said the harassment stems from Megan suggesting Harris “took hush money” from Lanez.
“I believe she needs to be held accountable for spreading false information,” Harris said according to Billboard.
Ta also asked Harris whether or not Lanez had threatened her or paid her money ahead of the trial. Harris was inconsistent here. During cross-examination by Lanez’s attorney George Mgdesyan, Harris declared, “I would like to make [it] very clear” that Lanez never bribed nor threatened her.
But, when Mgdesyan further asked if his client offered her $1 million. She replied, “I can’t remember.”
Another takeaway from Thursday was that Harris didn’t fully understand the scope of her “use immunity” – though nothing derived from her testimony may be used against her in court as of Wednesday – she does not immunity from a perjury charge – or falsifying information. When the defense asked whether she genuinely understood she could face legal consequences even with use immunity if she perjured herself during a criminal proceeding, Harris took a break, alongside her attorney David A. Nardoni outside the courtroom.
Tory Lanez is facing three felony charges in the ongoing case: including assault with a semiautomatic firearm; carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. If he is convicted on all three counts, he faces 22 years in prison.