Megan Thee Stallion has secured victory in a defamation lawsuit against a blogger following a trial over social media posts related to a 2020 shooting incident.
A jury in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled that blogger Milagro Cooper, known as Milagro Gramz on social media, defamed Megan Pete, the rapper’s legal name, by accusing her of perjury during testimony in the criminal trial of Tory Lanez.
The jury also found Cooper liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress and promotion of an “altered sexual depiction” (i.e. a deepfake video), according to the verdict, which you can read here.
The rapper filed the lawsuit in October 2024, alleging Cooper participated in a coordinated campaign to harass, intimidate and defame her after she publicly identified Lanez as the person who shot her.
Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted in December 2022 of felony assault for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in both feet during a July 2020 incident in the Hollywood Hills. He received a 10-year prison sentence without parole in August 2023.
“She’s created a space for a lot of people to come speak negatively about me.”
Megan Thee Stallion (via abc news)
The jury awarded the rapper $75,000. US District Judge Cecilia Altonaga indicated the amounts could change in her final written judgment.
Megan Thee Stallion testified that Cooper acted as a “paid surrogate” for Lanez, spreading false information on his behalf. During trial testimony last month, the rapper said: “She’s created a space for a lot of people to come speak negatively about me,” ABC News reported.
In November, Cooper took the stand and testified she discussed the shooting on social media independently, without influence from Peterson. However, she acknowledged speaking with Peterson and hoping to have him as a guest on her channel, according to ABC News. Cooper also confirmed receiving payments from Peterson’s father, Sonstar Peterson, which she described as for “personal” reasons including her children’s birthdays and “promotional” work.
“I am not ecstatic, of course, you want things to go your way, but like I said, I respect the jury and what they decided, and I think I made out pretty good.”
Milagro Cooper, Blogger (via WSVN)
ABC News added that the jury reviewed social media posts in which Cooper claimed Megan Thee Stallion was not shot. When asked directly if she believed the rapper was shot, Cooper said, “I can’t say she lied about that because I wasn’t there,” but then stated she believed the rapper stepped on glass rather than being shot. That claim matched Megan Thee Stallion’s initial statement to police, the report said.
In a statement issued to the news outlet, Megan’s attorney, Mari Henderson, said: “We’re thankful for the jury’s commitment to reinforcing the importance of truth, accountability and responsible commentary on social media.”
“This verdict sends a clear message that spreading dangerous misinformation carries significant consequences.”
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Cooper said: “I am not ecstatic, of course, you want things to go your way, but like I said, I respect the jury and what they decided, and I think I made out pretty good,” ABC affiliate WSVN reported.
“I am just happy to be moving forward; things will be handled. It wasn’t a multimillion-dollar verdict and I think that’s a blessing. God is good through and through,” Cooper continued.
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