Megan Thee Stallion is opening up in her own words for the final time after suffering an act of gun violence at the hands of someone she considered a close friend at the time. As the rapper tells ELLE in its May issue, the incident was traumatic enough on its own, but the consistent doubt, bashing, and victim blaming she experienced from the public in the wake of the July 2020 incident took an even greater toll on her mentally and emotionally.
The star has recently made a return to the public eye after being largely out of sight in the months since the frenzy surrounding the trial of her attacker Tory Lanez has died down. As she explains, the time off was essential for her healing.
“These last few months, I’ve been healing after being in such a dark place,” the rapper wrote of her absence from the limelight. “The physical and mental scars from this entire ordeal will always sting, but I’m taking the appropriate steps to resume my life. I’ve spent the last few months off social media and taking time off for myself, spending time with my dogs, hanging out with my manager, Farris, and doing a lot of praying.”
Megan says that though she was always instilled with the value of caution of others’ intentions and taught to assess the character of new acquaintances by her late parents, her warm nature left her open and trusting of people that came into her life, assuming they were always genuine.
“Unfortunately, it took until this devastating experience for me to fully grasp the magnitude of my parents’ message back then,” she said.
“For years, I kept trying to prove my loyalty and friendship to people without creating the space for them to reciprocate the same. Now, I’m more cautious with how I interact with others and analyze their true intentions.”
After months of public scrutiny, false narratives, tasteless jokes, and taunts from internet commenters and even many of her industry peers, Megan Thee Stallion took the stand and testified to the truth of what occurred the night she suffered bullet injuries. Still, the jeers and criticism continued.
“It never crossed my mind that people wouldn’t believe me,” Megan continued. “Still, I knew the truth and the indisputable facts would prevail. I had worked way too hard to reach this point in my career to let taunts deter me.”
And the truth prevailed indeed. Tory Lanez was found guilty on all charges related to Megan’s attack on December 23, 2022.
“It was more than just vindication for me,” Megan said of the verdict. “It was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them.”
“From firsthand experience, I know why a lot of women don’t come forward.”
Megan says that for the sake of her own mental health and to shift the narrative away from her life’s biggest trauma, this is the last time she will speak of the violent incident in the media.
“I’m putting myself first now because I know what I like, I know what I don’t like, I know what I’m not going to tolerate, and I know what I can endure because I’ve been battle-tested for so long. I’m ready to show everybody that all the dirt they threw at me didn’t stick…I’m choosing to change the narrative because I’m more than just my trauma.”
“I’ve accepted this chapter of my life as part of my journey, but I will not allow it to define my journey.”