Tory Lanez has filed an ethics complaint with the California State Bar, alleging misconduct by his former attorney, Shawn Holley, during his criminal trial involving Megan Thee Stallion. Lanez, currently serving a prison sentence, claims Holley’s professional connections with Roc Nation, the record label representing Megan, interfered with his defense.
According to Lanez, Holley was hired to represent him without disclosing her connections to Roc Nation. He points to her work as a producer on Hulu’s show Reasonable Doubt, which he says reflects her life as a celebrity attorney. He further argues the show’s inclusion of Beyoncé and Megan’s Grammy-winning “Savage (Remix)” as well as a track by Holley’s daughter, who has previously sung backup for Beyoncé, could hint at a conflict of interest.
The artist, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, also claims that Roc Nation’s CEO, Desiree Perez, helped Megan give statements to the police, further linking the label to the case. Lanez argues that Holley abandoned his case under suspicious circumstances: she stepped away just five days before he was found guilty, despite having been paid between $200,000 to $300,000 for her services. Lanez alleges that Holley urged him to accept a plea deal and claims that her withdrawal followed a rumor, which he calls false, that she had bribed a witness on his behalf.
In his complaint, Lanez also accuses Holley of failing to support his claims of innocence. He says she discouraged his DNA expert from conducting an extensive analysis of the gun involved in the case, despite his insistence that he never handled it. Lanez believes Holley’s actions were intended to weaken his defense.
The artist is now seeking disciplinary action against Holley from the State Bar and has requested a refund of the money he paid her.
Holley, however, denies any wrongdoing. She stated that Lanez had previously filed these claims with the State Bar, which had quickly rejected them, closing the case without further investigation. She attributes Lanez’s public accusations to his ongoing appeal of his criminal conviction.
With a challenging road ahead, Lanez is hoping the State Bar will reconsider his allegations and investigate what he describes as a conflict of interest.
