Tory Lanez's attorney, Crystal Morgan, has filed an appeal to challenge $5,000 in sanctions she is facing for allegedly blocking the rapper’s deposition in Megan Thee Stallion's recent defamation case against Milagro Gramz. Morgan filed the Notice of Appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Monday, according to AllHipHop.
The drama stems from Lanez's alleged refusal to answer questions during the court-ordered deposition for Megan's defamation lawsuit. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid previously held Lanez in contempt for refusing to cooperate. She fined Lanez $20,000 and Morgan another $5,000.
Court documents allege that Lanez hurled “multiple expletives” at Megan's legal team during the entire ordeal. When they warned him about financial penalties for his antics, he waved them off and cited his net worth.
Megan Thee Stallion Defamation Lawsuit
Megan Thee Stallion sued Milagro Gramz, accusing her of allegedly spreading numerous falsehoods about her in the wake of the 2020 Tory Lanez shooting, as well as reposting deepfake pornographic videos of her. While the jury in the trial initially found the blogger liable for defamation, Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga later threw out the count. She ruled that Milagro should have been viewed as a media defendant, and the rapper's lawyers never properly informed her of the lawsuit.
She also confirmed that Megan will still get $59,000 for the counts of intentional infliction of emotional distress and promotion of an altered sexual depiction.
Following the ruling, Megan's lawyer, Mari Henderson, wrote that they were happy with the result in a public statement. “We’re thankful for the jury’s commitment to reinforcing the importance of truth, accountability and responsible commentary on social media," the statement read. "Not only is Milagro being held accountable for paying Megan compensatory and punitive damages, but Florida’s fee-shifting legal provision will require her to cover [the] costs of Megan’s legal bills on the deepfake claim. This verdict sends a clear message that spreading dangerous misinformation carries significant consequences.”
Tory Lanez is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of first-degree assault with a firearm, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, and having a concealed firearm in a vehicle. The charges stemmed from a 2020 shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion.
