Iggy Azalea recently addressed concerns after being criticized for penning a letter backing Tory Lanez, who faced sentencing in connection with the shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion.
Tory, whose actual name is Daystar Peterson, stood in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday, August 7, awaiting his sentencing. This occurred roughly eight months subsequent to his conviction for discharging several bullets at Megan in a boozy altercation in July 2020.
Although he potentially faced a considerable time behind bars, a significant support network accompanied him in the courtroom, including family and close acquaintances.
Judge David Herriford reportedly had over 70 letters championing Tory on his desk, and one of the most prominent was from Iggy Azalea, according to Meghann Cuniff, a reporter for Law&Crime.
Iggy Azalea, the Australian rap artist rumored to have been involved romantically with Lanez the previous year, is said to have beseeched the judge to exercise mercy and hand down a penalty that would change Tory’s life rather than ruin it.
The news of Iggy’s letter was not well-received by Megan Thee Stallion’s fans or by those convinced of Tory’s guilt, particularly in light of Iggy’s previous accusations of misappropriating culture.
One widely circulated social media post implied that Iggy Azalea exemplified how some white women might fetishize Black women’s attributes but not support Black women themselves.
Yet another post expressed confusion over Iggy’s defense of Tory Lanez, referring to her turbulent past relationship with her ex-partner Playboi Carti.
Iggy Azalea, the artist behind the hit “Fancy,” subsequently took it upon herself to clarify her position on social media, emphasizing her support for prison reform rather than any individual involved in the case and stating that she had no intention of making a public statement.
She listed several points, including her lack of recent contact with Tory, her general disinterest in the matter filled with peculiarities, and her support for fair and rehabilitative punishment. Additionally, she revealed that her letter was not meant for public eyes and that she supports broader prison reform.
She further detailed that she had written about her genuine thoughts on what punishment Tory deserved, though she dismissed it as not particularly fascinating. She ended her statement with a playful note, joking about discussing pizza toppings the following week.
The sentencing decision for Tory Lanez remained pending at the conclusion of the hearing, with proceedings scheduled to continue on Tuesday morning, August 8. At that time, Judge Herriford is expected to render his judgment.
Judge Herriford had previously expressed that Lanez’s post-shooting behavior, including social media posts and ongoing harassment of Megan Thee Stallion, would play a significant role in influencing the severity of his punishment.
While the prosecution is demanding a 13-year prison term, Tory’s defense team is advocating for a more lenient three-year sentence, assuming their plea for probation and admission into a residential substance abuse treatment program is rejected.
