Megan Thee Stallion's ex-friend Kelsey Harris takes back statements in Tory Lanez trial
Harris' testimony seemed to leave prosecutors frustrated, as she answered almost every question with "I honestly don't remember."
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It was an aggravating third day of testimony for prosecutors in the trial of Canadian rapper Tory Lanez in Los Angeles as a key witness didn't answer most of their questions.
Megan's former assistant and best friend Kelsey Harris took the stand Wednesday and was granted immunity.
However, Harris' testimony seemed to leave prosecutors frustrated, as she answered almost every question with "I honestly don't remember."
Lanez, 30, is accused of shooting fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion following a party in the Hollywood Hills. He has pleaded not guilty to discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
Megan, 27, said that on July 12, 2020, she left a party at the home of Kylie Jenner in an SUV with Lanez, his bodyguard and Harris.
Harris made it clear Wednesday that her memory from that night was blurry because there was a lot of alcohol involved.
In September, L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta recorded an interview with Harris recounting the night. Large portions of that recording were played in court Wednesday in an effort to refresh Harris' memory.
In the recording, Harris described each part of the night in specific detail, but in court, Harris said many things she said then were not true, saying "I was protecting myself."
Prosecutors showed a text message Harris sent to Megan's security guard the night of the alleged shooting that read, "Help. Tory shot Meg. 911."
However, Harris claimed she does not know why she said that because she did not see anything happen.
Harris refused to refer to anything that night as a shooting, only that she heard gunshots. When asked by prosecutors if Lanez shot her, she issued her Fifth Amendment right. Harris continued saying she did not want to be at the trial and that taking the stand was "triggering" for her.
She's scheduled to back in court on Thursday at 10 a.m.
Megan took the stand Tuesday and told jurors that Lanez fired five shots at her feet, yelled at her to dance and wounded her as she tried to walk away from him.
"I just don't feel good," Megan, 27, said at the beginning of questioning from Ta. "I can't believe I have to come in here and do this."
Megan said she and Lanez had become close, bonding over the loss of their mothers, and had an occasionally sexual relationship. Her friend Harris, who had a "crush" on Lanez, tried to stir up trouble between the women by telling Megan she needed to stop lying to her friend.
The argument spiraled out of control, and became even more heated when she and Lanez started trashing each other's music and careers, Megan said.
"I feel like that really rubbed him the wrong way," she said. "He kept yelling and cursing."
She was wearing a bikini, but got out of the vehicle and tried to walk away when Lanez leaned out and opened fire, she said, leaving the back of her feet wounded. At one point, he yelled "Dance, b---!" she testified.
"I looked down at my feet, and I see all the blood," she said. "Now everybody's screaming. He looked shocked. Kelsey looked shocked."
Lanez' attorney George Mgdesyan said in his opening statement that her injury showed she could not have gotten a clear look at the shooter behind her, and that he would present more evidence that countered her story during the trial.
Lanez, sitting at the defense table in a tan suit and turtleneck, took notes as she spoke.
He arrived at court holding his young son's hand. He carried the boy out of the courthouse at lunch break and at the end of the day.
"This is my support system and I'm his too," he told reporters.
Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, could get more than 22 years in prison if convicted on all counts. He could also be deported to his native Canada.
Lanez has had a successful run of mixtapes and major-label records since his career began in 2009, with his last two albums reaching the top 10 on Billboard's charts.
Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, was already a major up-and-coming star at the time of the incident, and her career has skyrocketed since. She won a Grammy for best new artist in 2021, and had No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with her own song "Savage" featuring Beyoncé and as a guest on Cardi B's "WAP."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
