Iggy Azalea told a judge she'd hire Tory Lanez — the rapper convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion — 'without hesitation' for her next album

• Iggy Azalea told a judge she'd hire Tory Lanez after he serves his prison sentence.
• She wrote a letter supporting Lanez, according to documents obtained by reporter Meghann Cuniff.

Iggy Azalea said she would hire rapper Tory Lanez for her next album in a three-page letter addressed to Judge David Herriford ahead of the rapper's sentencing in the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, according to a copy of the letter obtained by reporter Meghann Cuniff.

Using Lanez's legal name, Daystar Peterson, Azalea wrote, "If daystar is able to remain in the United States after he has served time, I would employ him without hesitation as an executive producer on my next album."

She continued, adding that she had "already hired him for the job prior to his conviction!"

Herriford sentenced Lanez to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot in an altercation outside a party at Kylie Jenner's house in the summer of 2020. Lanez was also facing possible deportation to Canada, his home country.

According to Cuniff's reporting, 75 other people wrote letters in support of Lanez, but Azalea's was one of the only ones made public, as Herriford referred to it in court on Monday.

In response, Azalea said in a now-deleted post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, she was "told [her letter] was for a judge only" and was confused as to why "it's being discussed in public?" adding that she "never intended to publicly comment."

She also defended her decision to write the letter in support of Lanez in the post, pointing out that she has "not been in touch with tory for months" and that she doesn't "'support'" anyone.

Yet in the letter, Azalea commended Lanez's "kindness and humor" and said he "is far from your average entitled rap star."

"Daystar Peterson is not the pest you've heard about, he's a gardener," Azalea wrote. "He helps others bloom."

She also said Lanez has been supportive of her career and that "he creates space for others to be great."

"I deeply appreciate the person he is and have never witnessed him loose his temper or raise his voice at a woman. He's always been incredibly respectful of me and I refuse to believe that he would do anything in malice especially to a woman," Azalea wrote.

Prosecutors were seeking a 13-year sentence for Lanez, and Azalea asked Herriford to "consider a sentence that allows for this to be transformational and not life destroying."

"Any leniency you may afford him would be something you could be proud of," she wrote.

She added that she has been in "close contact" while Lanez has been in jail and believes "he has already gained positive insight in regard to this experience."