Daystar Peterson, the artist globally known as Tory Lanez, has officially filed a federal lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The filing follows a harrowing incident where the rapper was stabbed 16 times by a fellow inmate. This legal action highlights growing concerns regarding prison safety for celebrities and high-profile individuals within the state’s correctional facilities.
The incident occurred at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, where Lanez was reportedly targeted by an inmate serving a life sentence for murder. According to the lawsuit, the assailant utilized a homemade weapon to inflict 16 wounds across the rapper’s back, torso, and face. The severity of the attack resulted in a collapsed lung, necessitating an emergency airlift to a nearby hospital for life-saving treatment. Lanez contends that the facility failed in its duty to protect him, especially given his status as a highest paid WNBA player equivalent in the music industry.
A central pillar of the $100 million claim is the alleged negligence of prison staff. The lawsuit asserts that guards were slow to intervene as the attack unfolded. Furthermore, legal representatives argue that the administration ignored clear warning signs by housing a high-profile non-violent offender in the same yard as a known violent inmate. The claim suggests that adequate prison safety for celebrities was ignored, turning the rapper into a “sitting duck” for those seeking notoriety.
Beyond the physical trauma, the lawsuit includes claims regarding the unlawful seizure of personal property. Lanez alleges that officials confiscated and refused to return songbooks containing unpublished lyrics, which hold significant commercial value. Currently serving a 10-year sentence related to a 2022 shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion, Lanez has since been transferred to a different facility. This lawsuit aims to hold the system accountable for what his legal team describes as an “avoidable tragedy.”
