Megan Thee Stallion has never been just a chart-topping rapper. She’s an image of power in a genre that has rarely made space for women to hold it. But this week, inside a quiet federal courtroom in Miami, the three-time Grammy winner wasn’t holding a microphone or performing onstage. She was testifying — deliberately, emotionally, and in full view of a jury — about what she says has been a years-long campaign to tear her down.

The Houston-born star, whose legal name is Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, took the witness stand in her federal defamation case against Milagro “Milagro Gramz” Cooper, a social media commentator and blogger. The lawsuit, filed in October 2024, accuses Cooper of working in concert with rapper Tory Lanez (real name Daystar Peterson) to harass, intimidate, and defame her following the now-infamous July 2020 shooting that left Megan injured in both feet.

For Megan, this trial is about more than a headline or a payout. It’s about drawing a line in an era when online harassment can feel endless and when Black women who speak up often find themselves doubted, mocked, and attacked.

“I felt like no one cared that I was shot,” she told the court. “Everyone was making jokes.”

A Shooting, a Conviction — and a Storm of Doubt

The root of the case reaches back to that July night in 2020 in the Hollywood Hills. After leaving a party, an argument erupted in a vehicle carrying Megan, Tory Lanez, and others. Moments later, a gun was fired. Megan ended up in the hospital with injuries to her feet.

At first, she told police she’d stepped on glass. Later, she publicly identified Lanez as the shooter, explaining that her initial story to police was an attempt to protect everyone in the car — including Lanez — from a potentially dangerous confrontation with law enforcement, especially in the wake of protests following George Floyd’s death.

In December 2022, Lanez was convicted of three felony counts, including assault with a firearm. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August 2023. His appeal was rejected in 2025. The criminal case is closed.

But the online war never ended.

Megan’s lawsuit alleges that in the aftermath of the trial — and even before — Cooper used her platform to discredit Megan’s account, repeatedly suggesting Megan lied, was not actually shot, or exaggerated the harm. Fans and critics alike consumed Cooper’s commentary, which Megan says opened the floodgates for coordinated attacks questioning her character, her sanity, and her morality.

“She created a space for people to come and speak negatively about me,” Megan testified, describing how seeing those posts day after day intensified her trauma instead of allowing her wounds, physical and emotional, to heal.

On the Stand: “I Was So Tired of Being Alive”

In tearful testimony, Megan described the mental and emotional toll that the online harassment — amplified, she claims, by Cooper’s content — took on her.

“There was a time that I genuinely didn’t care if I lived or died,” she told the court. “I felt like there was no way I mattered. No way I should even be here.”

She recounted periods of deep depression and exhaustion, repeating that she had felt “tired of waking up” as insults and conspiracies flooded social platforms.

But she also shared that testifying brought her a sense of purpose.

Asked how she was doing on the day she testified, Megan said she was “OK” — not because everything was resolved, but because she finally had the opportunity to speak for herself in a formal setting.

“I’m not going to harm myself,” she said firmly. “I’m not going to give them what they’re looking for.”

She added that she hopes telling her story in court will inspire other women — especially Black women — to stand up against harassment and intimidation.

“I hope this helps other women want to tell their truth,” she said.

What the Blogger Says: Commentary, Not Conspiracy

For her part, Milagro Cooper insists she is a commentator, not a conspirator.

Taking the stand earlier in the week, Cooper testified that she discussed the shooting on her broadcast and social channels as part of her job as a blogger and media personality. She denied acting under orders from Lanez, though she acknowledged speaking with him and hoping to host him as a guest at one point.

Cooper also testified that she received payments from Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, but claimed they were tied to “personal” reasons, such as her children’s birthdays, and promotional work. Megan’s lawsuit frames those payments differently — as part of an alleged effort to support content aimed at undermining Megan’s credibility.

The jury saw posts in which Cooper claimed Megan had not been shot and suggested that she had instead stepped on glass. When asked if she believed Megan lied about the shooting, Cooper said she couldn’t say for sure because she wasn’t there — but then repeated her belief that Megan’s injuries were not caused by bullets.

Megan has consistently explained that her initial “glass” statement to officers was motivated by fear and a desire to protect lives during a tense moment with police.

“Even though he hurt me, I still didn’t want to see him arrested or harmed by police,” she testified again this week, referring to Lanez.

A Defamation Case With High Stakes

Megan’s lawsuit accuses Cooper of:

defamation

promoting altered or inappropriate depictions of Megan

cyberstalking

intentional infliction of emotional distress

The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a declaratory judgment that Cooper’s conduct was unlawful.

Cooper denies wrongdoing in court filings. In a motion to dismiss, her attorneys argued that many of the statements at issue were either:

“substantially true,”

“clearly opinion,” or

“rhetorical hyperbole,”

and thus protected under free speech principles.

They also described the defamation claims as an “overreach,” arguing that public figures like Megan are subject to intense scrutiny and commentary — much of which falls into legally protected territory.

The trial will likely test the boundary between harsh celebrity commentary and targeted defamation in the social media era.

The Legal Fallout Extends to Tory Lanez

Even though Lanez is not a defendant in this defamation suit, his presence looms large.

Court records show that Lanez was ordered to sit for a deposition relating to Megan’s lawsuit against Cooper. According to documents reviewed by ABC News, Lanez and his attorney refused to meaningfully participate, repeatedly obstructing and evading questions.

A magistrate judge held both Lanez and his attorney in contempt of court for their behavior across multiple scheduled depositions, ordering them to pay a $20,000 fine.

The judge wrote that Lanez and his lawyer engaged in a “coordinated scheme” to prevent questioning — a rare public rebuke in a civil case.

Lanez’s legal team has not publicly commented on the contempt finding.

Megan’s Bigger Story: Career, Trauma, and the Fight to Be Believed

Even apart from this trial, Megan’s life has been anything but simple since the shooting.

She has continued releasing music, touring, acting, and building her business ventures — from philanthropy via the Pete & Thomas Foundation to branded partnerships. She has also spoken openly about seeking therapy to cope with trauma, anxiety, and depression.

Her 2020 album Good News addressed the shooting head-on, while later projects explored themes of healing, self-worth, and independence.

Her success — including chart-topping collaborations like “Savage (Remix)” and “WAP,” and awards like Best New Artist at the Grammys — has unfolded in parallel with a constant online debate over her credibility, behavior, and personal life.

For many observers, this is exactly what makes her case so important.

To them, Megan’s experience illustrates:

how Black women are often doubted when they allege harm

how online harassment can intensify real-world trauma

how celebrity culture can blur the line between commentary and cruelty

The phrase “Protect Black Women” became a rallying cry in the wake of the shooting and trial, with supporters urging the public and media to recognize the personal cost of dismissing or mocking Black women’s testimonies.

A Digital World Reckoning With Harassment and Deepfakes

Megan’s defamation suit also touches on a newer, deeply troubling phenomenon: the spread of manipulated or sexually explicit content created without consent.

Her lawsuit accuses Cooper of elevating inappropriate, altered depictions of her online — conduct Megan says contributed to a sense of humiliation and despair.

These allegations sit at the intersection of:

online harassment

emerging deepfake technology

the rights of public figures to protect their likeness and reputation

Legal experts say cases like this could help shape how courts treat digital defamation and non-consensual media in the coming years — particularly when such content is wrapped in the guise of “commentary” or “opinion.”

Where the Case Goes From Here

The trial is expected to continue into the near future, with closing arguments and jury deliberations to follow.

Whatever the outcome, one thing is clear: Megan Thee Stallion is determined to make sure her voice is heard — in court, in the studio, and beyond.

She has spoken openly about her journey:

from aspiring rapper to global star

from victim of violence to survivor

from subject of gossip to plaintiff seeking accountability

And while the emotional cost of reliving her trauma under oath is evident, she has framed this legal battle as part of a larger fight to reclaim her story.

“I’m here,” she told the court, “and I’m not going to be silenced.”