Tory Lanez Files $100 Million Lawsuit Against California Prison Officials
Rapper Tory Lanez, currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the shooting of fellow hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion, has initiated a federal lawsuit against California corrections officials, seeking $100 million in damages following a violent stabbing incident in prison.
Details of the Prison Attack
Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, detailed in court documents that on May 12, 2025, he was attacked by a fellow inmate at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. The assailant used a homemade shank to stab Peterson approximately 16 times, inflicting wounds to his face, head, torso, and back. The injuries resulted in permanent scarring and two collapsed lungs, necessitating emergency medical intervention.
Peterson was airlifted to a hospital and placed on a ventilator. After his discharge, he was transferred to the California Men's Colony, a different state prison facility.
Allegations of Negligence and Deliberate Indifference
In the lawsuit, Peterson alleges that California prison officials knowingly housed him with the inmate who attacked him, violating correctional protocols designed to separate inmates based on risk factors. He claims that the inmate's criminal history and prior acts of violence behind bars made this housing decision a known danger.
Peterson further asserts that prison staff were not immediately present during the attack, and the delayed response allowed the assault to proceed fully. He argues that evidence points to deliberate indifference to foreseeable violence, highlighting systemic failures in inmate safety.
Context of Prison Violence and Additional Claims
The California Correctional Institution was among several prisons where high-security sections were placed under restricted movement programs in March 2025, in response to a surge in violence against staff and incarcerated persons, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Additionally, Peterson alleges that prison officials illegally seized books containing original, unpublished lyrics with substantial commercial value while he was hospitalized. His lawsuit demands the immediate return of these songbooks, which he claims are worth millions of dollars.
Background on the Criminal Case and Celebrity Status
In a grievance letter filed alongside the lawsuit in June 2025, Peterson claimed that prison staff have consistently used various tactics to exploit him. He emphasized his status as an A-list celebrity and noted that his case involves public interest due to its connection with another celebrity, Megan Thee Stallion.
Peterson suggested that the stabbing could have been part of a plot to steal his intellectual property, given the high value of his unpublished work.
Peterson was found guilty in December 2022 of three felonies related to shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet in 2020. The charges included assault with a semi-automatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence, carrying a maximum sentence of 22 years.
Megan Thee Stallion, legal name Megan Pete, testified that Peterson shot at her feet and demanded she dance as she walked away from a vehicle after a party at Kylie Jenner's Hollywood Hills home. She underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments from her feet.
A California court rejected Peterson's appeal in November 2024, as reported by the Associated Press. His civil attorney has not commented on the lawsuit, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation stated it does not comment on pending litigation.
TMZ first reported on the lawsuit, with additional details provided by the Associated Press.
