Megan Thee Stallion took the witness stand Thursday in a federal courtroom, giving powerful and emotional testimony in her ongoing defamation lawsuit against Internet personality and social media commentator Milagro Cooper, known online as “Milagro Gramz.” The rapper filed the suit in October 2024, accusing Cooper of spearheading a coordinated campaign to harass, intimidate, and defame her following the July 2020 shooting carried out by rapper Tory Lanez.
Megan, whose legal name is Megan Pete, told jurors that Cooper amplified lies about her across social media platforms in an attempt to discredit her after she publicly identified Lanez as the gunman.
“She’s created a space for a lot of people to speak negatively about me,” Pete said, describing how the online attacks painted her as dishonest and mentally unstable.
“I Didn’t Care if I Lived or Died”
The rapper’s testimony grew emotional when she described how the online harassment worsened after the shooting became public. “I felt like nobody cared that I was shot… I know everyone was making jokes about it,” she told the court.
Pete revealed that the relentless abuse pushed her into a severe emotional decline. “There was a time I genuinely didn’t care if I lived or died,” she said. “I felt like no way I mattered. No way I should even be living. I was tired of waking up. I just wanted to die.”
Jurors were shown text messages between Pete and her close friend and roommate, Travis Farris, from August 30, 2022, according to Legal Affairs and Trial. In the messages, she wrote, “Nobody gives me grace and understanding. I’ve been shot but somehow everyone else is a victim and I’m under consistent attack and ridicule,” referring to people on the Internet and in her real life.
Farris responded with a Bible verse from Psalm 69:4 and reassurances, but testified he felt “powerless” as her mental health worsened. He also said multiple concerts had to be canceled due to her emotional state.
Evidence and Expert Testimony
During the trial, prosecutors displayed X-ray images showing bullet fragments in Pete’s foot from the 2020 shooting.
Psychologist Dr. Lenore Walker testified that Pete had been diagnosed with PTSD and attended a four-week Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program to address the trauma. Pete checked herself into a treatment facility, and the program cost $240,000. Walker described her condition as “consistent with someone who had endured severe personal and public trauma.”
Finding Strength in Testifying
Despite recounting the most painful moments of her experience, Pete said she is doing better today. She told the court that sharing her story openly in the same space where she felt misunderstood and attacked for years has been a source of empowerment.
“I’m not going to kill myself because I’m not going to give them what they’re looking for,” she said, explaining how she found strength despite the constant scrutiny.
The trial remains ongoing.
