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Australian rapper, model, and songwriter Iggy Azalea found herself in hot waters recently when it was revealed by the press that she was among 70 people who testified about Canadian rapper Tory Lanez’s character, speaking in his favor.
At present, Lanez is facing three felony charges, one of which is for allegedly shooting American rapper Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.
As per The Messenger, Lanez was present in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, August 7, to hear his sentencing when Judge Herriford revealed that he received many testimonies vouching for Lanez’s character, and one of them was from Iggy Azalea.
As per the news outlet, instead of reading out each note in front of the courtroom, the judge summed up all the letters. A part of it was dedicated to the note from Azalea that said that Tory Lanez is a “talented songwriter” and she hoped that his sentence is “transformational, not life-altering.”
As soon as the news of Iggy Azalea’s letter of support for Tory Lanez became viral, social media users called her out. One user even tweeted:
“Iggy Azalea has been a trash *ss person since day one”: Australian rapper triggers online backlash over her support of Tory Lanez
When the internet learned that Iggy Azalea sent a letter of support for Tory Lanez during his trial, they got her under fire and questioned her character, morals, and ethics. In fact, they also dug up how she defended Tory Lanez when the news broke out about him shooting Stallion in the feet in July 2020.
Back then she had said that unless Lanez was convicted, he wasn’t going to believe what anyone said. Now that Lanez is facing three felony charges, Iggy Azalea still showed his support for him and even testified in his favor.
Evidently, this did not sit well with netizens and it triggered a severe online backlash. Some people even called her out for siding with an alleged abuser when she herself was a victim of infidelity and harassment from her partner, rapper Playboi Carti.
As per Billboard, a letter of support also came from a jailer who stated that Lanez “is remorseful” and has “talked in detail about the event and what he could have done to prevent it.”
Iggy Azalea has not commented on the backlash. However, Iggy Azalea clarified her standpoint on the Tory Lanez case.
In brief, the Tory Lanez case so far
Tory Lanez (born Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson) is a 31-year-old rapper, singer, and songwriter of Canadian origin. In July 2020, he and American rapper Megan Thee Stallion left Kylie Jenner’s party at Hollywood Hills.
However, following a dispute, Lanez allegedly shot Stallion at the back of her feet with a handgun he kept in his car, before dropping her home.
Initially, Stallion did not file any complaints against Lanez. However, later, in August 2020, she revealed on Instagram Live how her gunshot wound to the foot was caused by Tory Lanez. In the following month, Lanez denied the charges and even released an album in which all the songs were about defending himself, claiming his innocence, and going on record to say that he was being framed.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles police conducted an investigation and in October 2020, Lanez was officially charged with three felony counts: first-degree assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a concealed, loaded, and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and personal discharge of a firearm with gross negligence.
In December of that year, he was officially convicted during a jury trial and has since then been in prison. His case is currently being conducted at the Los Angeles County Superior Court and the prosecutors are seeking a 13-year jail sentence, including deportation charges to his native Canada.
Lanez’s attorney, on the other hand, has sought probation for their client, including release from jail and entry into a residential substance abuse program. They have also planned to appeal for his conviction.
On Monday, official sentencing was expected, but as per The Messenger, it has been dragged to Tuesday as both parties argued on his potential statement, and the defendant produced seven witnesses including Lanez’s father.
A statement from Megan Thee Stallion was also read out in the courtroom who did not wish to be present. It said how she was “viciously shot by the defendant” and hasn’t experienced “a single day of peace” ever since.
The statement also said that even though she was healing and coming back slowly, her life will never be the same again.
