- Megan Thee Stallion's former best friend took the stand to testify against Tory Lanez on Wednesday.
- Kelsey Harris said that Lanez had threatened her with a gun on the night of July 12, 2020.
Megan Thee Stallion's former best friend took the stand on Wednesday to illuminate what happened on the night in 2020 that prosecutors said rapper Tory Lanez shot Megan in the foot — but stopped short of testifying about critical details.
Kelsey Harris, Megan's former best friend and assistant, dressed in all black and appeared shaken during her testimony in the trial against Lanez, who pleaded not guilty to three felony assault charges after the shooting at Kylie Jenner's Los Angeles house on July 12, 2020.
"I don't want to be here today, it's a triggering situation," Harris told the court.
"It happened in the face of a million people, with lies from Megan," she added, later saying that she felt that Megan did not protect her from suggestions that she shot the gun, or that she accepted hush money. In court, Harris testified that Lanez tried to pay the two women $1 million in the aftermath of the shooting, but did not confirm, deny or elaborate on key details about the night.
Lanez also offered to give her the hush money through hiring a lawyer or investments, Harris testified.
Through the few details that were shared, Harris said that the comment that set Lanez off ahead of the shooting was when Megan told him that he owed his fame to being "on a remix with Jack Harlow."
Lanez, whose birth name is Daystar Peterson, was charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm, personal use of a firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle — brought by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office in October 2020. Last week, Lanez was also hit with a new charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence relating to the conflict. He faces up to 22 years in prison if found guilty.
On Wednesday morning, Harris consulted with her attorney as she mulled pleading the fifth and not testifying on Wednesday. But after Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott granted Harris immunity for her testimony, she took the stand and called the defense's suggestions that she shot Megan "ridiculous."
Harris denied shooting Megan
When asked by prosecutors if she had shot Megan, Harris assuredly said, "I did not." Throughout testimony she reiterated that she never saw Lanez fire at Megan, contradicting her September 2022 interview with investigators where she said she saw Lanez shoot at Megan five times.
Lanez's attorney said during opening statements Monday that the evening unraveled over a jealous feud between the two women over Lanez, and that evidence does not support Lanez shooting Megan.
Harris said Wednesday she had known Megan, whose birth name is Megan Pete, since their freshman year in college, and that the two women met Lanez at a Roc Nation brunch in 2020. Throughout her testimony, Harris said that a source of tension between the two women was that Megan tried to set her up with Lanez after the brunch, but later had her own history with him.
Lanez has denied shooting Megan. Megan, who had testified on Tuesday, claimed that on July 12, 2020, the night of a gathering at Kylie Jenner's house, Lanez, she, and Harris got into a heated argument, and that Lanez threatened both women before shooting Megan.
Harris said that it was "ridiculous," to suggest that she had shot Megan on the day of the party. She added through a reluctant testimony that she and Megan had been at Kylie Jenner's house, having a gathering with a handful of people before things soured later at night.
Harris eventually said she took a drunken nap and woke up to the others in the pool, remembering "Megan's demeanor and obnoxious laugh" before they tried to leave Kylie's house. Lanez wanted to stay, Harris said, and was "just being Tory, flirting with Kylie."
The two women left with Lanez's driver, before Megan said she had to return for a slipper, Harris testified.
"Apparently a fight happened in there," Harris said, referring to when Megan went back into Kylie's house. "'Bitch we gotta get the fuck out,'" Harris recalled Megan saying as she left the house.
As they re-entered Lanez's car with him, "everyone's calling each other names, taking jabs at each other," Harris said.
Harris told jurors that Lanez asked Megan to tell Harris about their history, and then Harris called Megan out for her "disloyalty."
Details from Harris' testimony grind to a halt
Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta then asked Harris if Lanez had threatened her with a gun during the three-way argument. Harris, who sought to avoid answering the question, eventually confirmed that Lanez did threaten her.
Ta asked Harris what Lanez told her as he threatened to shoot her in the car, but Harris shrunk on the stand.
Throughout the day, she asked to consult with her lawyer, attempting to plead the fifth amendment. When asked to answer the question right before the afternoon break, she took a long pause and said, "I don't know."
Harris continued her testimony Wednesday by saying that her initial interview in September 2022 with the District Attorney's office was "not 100% truthful," though she didn't offer specifics on what exactly she wasn't truthful about. Harris also did not divulge information about injuries she had told prosecutors she suffered after Lanez assaulted her that night, but confirmed that after the shooting happened, Lanez told her "shut up, shut up, shut up!"
As prosecutors showed Harris photos of the blood-soaked backseat of Lanez's car after the shooting, Harris said she was unable to verify whose blood it was, and as audio was played from a series of calls Lanez made to Harris from jail the next day, Harris said she was unsure what specifically he was apologizing for related to the night before as Lanez said he was "so fucking drunk."
In court Wednesday, she declined to confirm who Megan was shot by, and did not expand on a text message she sent Megan's security detail after the shooting, which said, "Help. Tory shot Meg. 911." In Megan's testimony Tuesday, she corroborated Harris and said Lanez offered her $1 million not to say anything.
"I'm neutral," Harris said. "I've moved on with my life."