Megan Thee Stallion Is the Victim, Not the Defendant

The Atlantic - Daystar Peterson, the actor known as Tory Lanez, is on trial in Los Angeles after allegedly shooting fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion in both feet two years ago. But in the court of public opinion, she is the person who is really being judged.

The critically acclaimed, best-selling artist, whose real name is Megan Pete, was injured in a July 2020 incident that began when she, Peterson and others were driving away from a party. Ever since Pete identified Peterson as her attacker, the lack of empathy, concern and protection for Pete — one of the world’s greatest entertainers and most successful artist in hip-hop history — has been nothing short of staggering.

Taking to Instagram on Saturday, rapper 50 Cent posted a meme comparing Pete to Jussie Smollett, the disgraced actor who was convicted of lying to police on five counts of a racist and homophobic attack earlier this year. This isn’t the first time 50 Cent has harshly mocked Pete. Shortly after the first incident with Peterson, he posted a meme showing a picture of her running away from a car that Peterson was driving. That same month, 50 Cent apologized. But his more recent post suggests he still finds jokes about their shooting funny. This from a man who was once shot multiple times.

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Peterson, who faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted of three felonies, has pleaded not guilty. His trial has featured much salacious drama. Pete’s bodyguard, Justin Edison, was scheduled to testify but disappeared before he could take the witness stand. Pete’s former girlfriend Kelsey Harris, who was present at the time of the shooting, gave a statement that preceded previous statements in which she had told prosecutors that Peterson had shot Pete. Harris now claims she doesn’t know who shot Pete, although prosecutors revealed a text message in which Harris wrote on the night of the altercation: “Help. Tory shot Meg. 911.”

Testimony at the trial indicated that Pete and Harris had both been intimate with Peterson. His lawyers have characterized the incident as a runaway fight between jealous women, resorting to an old misogynist tactic: camouflage a woman’s character by weaponizing her sex history. Peterson’s attorney claimed Pete was involved with some of the same men Harris dated.

Also read: Megan Thee Stallion is the victim, not the accused

The implication was that Pete was both promiscuous and a bad boyfriend — notions that likely undermine sympathy for a woman who boasts of sexual freedom in her raps. As a statuesque black woman – the term stallion is slang for a tall, curvy black woman – Pete refuses to shrink for the comfort of others. Her uncompromising confidence and successful career seem to bother some people. For example, one influential hip-hop podcaster last year dismissed her as “driven, overrated, and also pedestaled” for popular slogans like “Protect Black Women” and “Black-Girl Magic.”

The attacks on Pete’s character, both in the courtroom and beyond, are an unfortunate and horrifying reminder of the price many black women pay for daring to speak out about the harm done to them. The emotional cost is even greater when they accuse black men of abusing them because they are often put in the dire position of having to choose between racial solidarity and self-defense. Most black women are all too aware of the additional dangers that black men face in the criminal justice system. But, as popular social media influencer Lynae Vanee noted in her recent comment on Pete’s situation, “I can’t protect black men at any cost if all costs includes me.”

Early reports of the July 2020 incident were grim. On the night of the incident, Pete told police that she injured herself by stepping on broken glass. She then said she lied at first because she didn’t trust the police. “My initial silence about what happened was out of fear for me and my friends,” she explained in an October interview New York Times guest post.

Your lack of trust in the police is entirely plausible. As Pete has noted, her altercation with Peterson occurred not long after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd in broad daylight, underscoring the deep unease so many black people feel at being questioned by officers. Pete stepped forward and said that Peterson was their attacker after concluding that he and his supporters were spreading false information about the incident.

The change in her story raised doubts in some people. Frequent questions about her credibility have taken a significant toll on the 27-year-old’s mental health. During her testimony, Pete said, “I can’t even be happy. I can’t have long conversations with people. I don’t feel like I want to be on this earth. I wish he would have just shot me if I had known I was going through this torture.”

She had previously publicly denied having had a sexual relationship with Peterson. Last week, she testified on the witness stand that she was too embarrassed to reveal her history with a man who she said continued to harm her. “How could I share my body,” she asked, “with someone who would shoot me?”

Pete’s account of her ordeal was heartbreaking. At a time when the hip-hop community has been overwhelmed by the recent murders of some of its biggest stars — Takeoff, PnB Rock and Young Dolph — you might expect a lot more sensitivity towards a woman victim of gun violence. Instead, Pete was subjected to malicious gossip and accused of being a liar. Her surgeon testified that she had indeed been shot, and suggestions that Pete lied about her condition have always been insidious fodder for social media. Among the people taking part in the atrocity are some of their male counterparts.

Hip-hop star Drake explained in the song ‘Circo Loco,’ which he recorded when he was 21 Savage and released last month, that “this bitch lies to get jizzed but she’s still a stud.” The text prompted Pete to post a series of tweets defending herself. “Stop using my shooting for clout,” she said requiredadding that some men in rap “target a black woman when she says one of y’all homeboys abused her.”

Read: For Drake, misogyny is the message

Rapper and podcaster Joe Budden said of her in a recent podcast episode, “I’ve seen this woman do horrible things to some really great people that I have long-standing business relationship here in this industry.” But Budden also admitted that he had never met Pete.

The Grammy Award winner has already accomplished so much, and it’s disgusting that standing up for justice has become a disadvantage in some circles. Pete was the first rapper to ever be on the cover of the sports illustrated Swimsuit theme. She hosted Saturday night live, appeared in a Super Bowl commercial and – after finding fame and commercial success – made it a priority to get her college degree. She has always been a woman to be praised, not ridiculed.

When she decided to report details of her abuse, Pete understood how events were likely to unfold. in the Times Two years ago she wrote: “Even as a victim, I have faced skepticism and judgement. The way people have publicly questioned and debated whether I had a role in my own violent attack proves that unfortunately my fears about speaking out about what happened were justified.”

Unfortunately, black girl magic does not extend to being believed or treated humanely. That is why Black women must fight vehemently – and often alone – for their own dignity.

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