Tory Lanez and his legal team did all they could to avoid another deposition. But the efforts effectively fell on deaf ears so now, the Canadian rapper is going to sit through his third one. Per an exclusive report from AllHipHop's Grouchy Greg Watkins, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Lisette Reid ruled that his motion to omit himself from this upcoming sit-down came too late this weekend.
The incarcerated MC and his reps filed a Protective Order in September. "Mr. Peterson, an incarcerated non-party in Pete v. Cooper, No. 1:24-cv-24228 (S.D. Fla.), faces undue burden, prejudice to his ongoing criminal appeal, and constitutional risks if compelled to provide further deposition testimony. Relief is warranted to ensure compliance with the Federal Rules, to protect non-parties, and to safeguard Mr. Peterson's rights."
Judge Reid also didn't see how this could be possible. "The focus of Mr. Peterson's deposition is his relationship with defendant Cooper, not with plaintiff. Thus, the court does not see how testimony regarding Mr. Peterson's communications and relationship with defendant would serve to prejudice his criminal appeal."
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"Cooper" is referring to Milagro Cooper, aka internet blogger, Milagro Gramz. She's being sued for defamation by Megan The Stallion. Their case has been going on for over a year now, with the Houston femcee accusing Gramz of taking payments from Tory Lanez and his father to run an online smear campaign.
Bur as for Tory Lanez, he will really have to be on his best behavior for this forthcoming deposition. This one will be supervised, and he will need the judge's permission to invoke his constitutional rights. "The Fifth Amendment doesn't allow a witness to skip a deposition entirely," Judge Reid also wrote. "He can only refuse to answer specific questions that might incriminate him and the judge will decide those issues as they come up."
If you remember, Tory was reportedly extremely disrespectful towards Megan's legal team during an April deposition. Penalties or legal fees may come for Lanez for his earlier refusal to cooperate. However, a decision on that will arrive after deposition number three.
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