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Iggy Azalea Offers Explanation For Writing Letter To Court Amid Tory Lanez Sentencing
Tory Lanez’s sentencing in connection to the Megan Thee Stallion shooting was slated to take place on Monday (Aug. 7) before ultimately being pushed back. However, an unexpected detail emerged later that day, which revealed that Iggy Azalea wrote a letter of support to the court.
Given the ripple of speculation and confusion that followed, Azalea took to social media to clarify her stance. She tweeted, “For the record: 1. I have not been in touch with Tory [Lanez] for months. I have no reason to be, but I do wish him well. 2. I don’t ‘support’ anyone. The whole thing is full of oddities. My letter never mentioned anything in regard to what happened that night.”
The post continued, “3. I was told this was for a judge only, yet it’s being discussed in public. I never intended to publicly comment. 4. I am not in support of throwing away [anyone’s] life if we can give reasonable punishments that are rehabilitative instead. I support prison reform. Period.”
It concluded, “5. I was asked to write about my genuine experience and the type of punishment I think he deserves: I did. It’s not really that interesting, but I understand why it’s being sensationalized.”
Re: Iggy Azalea's letter for Tory Lanez, she posted this tonight saying she didn't know it was going to be public and thought it was for judge's eyes only. (Herriford is making all letters publicly, obviously in a push for full transparency on his part.) https://t.co/Aj1YiQrY86
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) August 8, 2023
Legal experts expect the case to be closely watched due to the high profiles of those involved. Prosecutors are pushing for a 13-year prison sentence for Lanez, but his defense is advocating for probation and mandatory rehab.
They pointed to the musician’s struggles with alcohol addiction and his traumatic childhood. Meanwhile, Azalea’s letter was among 75 others, which included a mix of family, clergy, nonprofit heads, and music industry peers, arguing for leniency.
The “Fancy” rapper’s testimony hasn’t been publicly disclosed in its entirety. However, a police chief in Missouri and a state rep are reportedly among other figures who submitted written mail.
According to journalist Meghann Cunniff, Megan Thee Stallion also submitted a statement. It read, “He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma. He tried to position himself as a victim, and set out to destroy my character and my soul.”
Elsewhere, the “Her” artist’s affidavit stated, “At first, he tried to deny the shooting ever happened. Then, he attempted to place the blame on my former best friend. In his tantrum of lies, he’s blamed the system, blamed the press, and as of late, he’s using his childhood trauma to shield himself and avoid culpability.”
More from Megan Thee Stallion’s statement at Tory Lanez’s sentencing: “He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma. He tried to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul.”
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) August 8, 2023
“At first, he tried to deny the shooting ever happened. Then, he attempted to place the blame on my former best friend. In his tantrum of lies, he’s blamed the system, blamed the press and, as of late, he’s using his childhood trauma to shield himself and avoid culpability.”
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) August 8, 2023