Kelsey Harris, Key Witness in Tory Lanez Shooting Trial, Invokes Fifth Amendment

Harris, who was in the car with Megan Thee Stallion when Lanez allegedly shot her, gave conflicting testimony.

By Audra Heinrichs  |  December 15, 2022 | 1:11am
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Kelsey Harris, Key Witness in Tory Lanez Shooting Trial, Invokes Fifth Amendment
Photo:Taylor Hill, Amy Sussman (Getty Images)

Kelsey Harris, former friend and assistant of Megan Thee Stallion, invoked the Fifth Amendment just before her testimony during the third day of Tory Lanez’s felony assault trial on Wednesday. Lanez is accused of shooting Megan on July 12, 2020. According to Rolling Stone’s Nancy Dillon, who is reporting from the downtown Los Angeles courtroom, Harris—who is considered a key witness in the case—only began testifying after she conferred with her attorney and was granted “use immunity” by Judge David Herriford, meaning her testimony could not be used to prosecute her in this case.

“I don’t care to be here today,” Harris said shortly after taking the stand. “This is happening in the face of a million people, my name being thrown around, lies.”

When prompted to elaborate on the alleged lies, Harris first blamed Megan: “She’s painted the picture that I betrayed her, she’s painted the picture that I’m this bad person, bad friend, that I took hush money. There are many lies.”

Among them, she said, is the accusation that she shot Megan, not Lanez. She called the idea “ridiculous” when asked by prosecutor Kathy Ta, contradicting Monday’s opening statements from Lanez’s defense that seemed to suggest she was the shooter.

Ta went on to to ask whether Lanez threatened to shoot Harris during the altercation, referencing a September interview with Harris in which Harris specifically recalled him doing so.

“Do you remember in [the] interview…you mentioned he threatened to shoot you?” Ta said, according to Dillon. “Um, yes, ma’am,” Harris replied after asking if she “really had to answer that.” During the questioning on Wednesday afternoon, Harris said she didn’t remember.

“Our interview was not 100% truthful,” Harris said, Los Angeles Times reporter James Queally noted. Harris did not specify what she had previously lied about and, while her interviews with the prosecution were played in court, Herriford told jurors not to treat them as evidence, Queally reported.

Multiple reporters in the courtroom observed that Harris’ testimony was often indeterminable and laden with complexities. As Law & Crime’s Meghann Cuniff tweeted: “Kelsey’s testimony is going to take some time to really explain…because her denials were also mixed with admissions that corroborated key details Deputy DA Kathy Ta was trying to get in, such as Tory offering her $1 million.”

Harris’s account included details like how she met Lanez (with Megan at a Roc Nation brunch), and that she believed the “dynamic” between the three had changed after she contracted covid and lived in Houston for three months.

The shooting occurred after a small pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house, where Harris testified that Megan seemed “off” and was drinking a lot. Harris recalled that at one point, she passed out inside the mansion and upon waking up, saw Lanez had arrived and was “flirting” with Jenner. She then testified that she and Megan originally left the gathering without Lanez, but went back to the mansion after Megan said she left her slipper.

Harris recalled remaining in the vehicle as Megan retrieved the shoe, and when she returned to the car, Lanez was with her. “Apparently a fight or something happened,” she said. “She rushed out with Tory.”

“She was like, ‘Bitch, Kylie said we got to get the fuck out.’ I was like, ‘I’m confused,’” Harris said.

The altercation then broke out in the car, with Harris recalling that she, Megan and Lanez called each other names. Consistent with Megan’s testimony, she remembered Lanez telling Megan something to the effect of “stop lying,” and the fight escalated. She also noted that Lanez called the women “bitches and hoes,” as Megan also testified on Tuesday.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Harris said. “He’s just saying that they had a relationship, they were having a relationship. An argument ensues and just continues. Me and her are arguing about her disloyalty.”

Harris didn’t confirm seeing Lanez fire the gun, something she’d said she’d seen in her earlier interviews with the prosecution. Her testimony will continue on Thursday.

Lanez has been charged with one count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm with gross negligence, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. If convicted, he faces 22 years in prison.

 
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