Megan Thee Stallion's Emotional Testimony in Defamation Trial Exposes the Devastating Impact of Deepfakes and Online Harassment.
The Grammy-winning rapper broke down in tears on Thursday during her testimony in a federal courtroom in Miami, recounting how a deepfake pornographic video of her, created without her consent and allegedly promoted online by blogger Milagro Gramz, left her feeling "defeated" and questioning the value of her life. The video, which was part of a coordinated campaign to harass and discredit Megan, she claimed, caused her mental health to plummet.
"It's really embarrassing," Megan testified about the experience. "To be in front of everybody else, and they have to watch it – it's like I'm not even me." She also expressed frustration that Cooper knowingly amplified the reach of the fake video online, saying it created a space for people to speak negatively about her.
The ordeal began when Megan took the stand as a witness against Tory Lanez in his criminal trial three years ago. During the trial, she recounted how Lanez shot at her feet, wounding both, during a drunken rampage after a party at Kylie Jenner's house in July 2020. Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
However, Megan claims that Cooper engaged in a "coordinated campaign" with Lanez to harass and discredit her. She alleged that Cooper caused her severe emotional distress by liking the deepfake video on her @MobzWorld account on X (formerly Twitter) on June 8, 2024, and then urging her more than 100,000 followers across social media to check the "likes" section of her X account.
Cooper was called to the stand earlier this week and reportedly told jurors that she offered commentary about the 2020 shooting without any outside influence from Peterson. However, Megan's lawyers have raised questions about Cooper's credibility, citing her alleged ties to Peterson.
The trial is ongoing, but Megan's emotional testimony has shed light on the devastating impact of deepfakes and online harassment on individuals, particularly women. The Grammy-winning rapper's courage in sharing her story may help others who have faced similar experiences, offering a glimmer of hope that justice can be served.
The Grammy-winning rapper broke down in tears on Thursday during her testimony in a federal courtroom in Miami, recounting how a deepfake pornographic video of her, created without her consent and allegedly promoted online by blogger Milagro Gramz, left her feeling "defeated" and questioning the value of her life. The video, which was part of a coordinated campaign to harass and discredit Megan, she claimed, caused her mental health to plummet.
"It's really embarrassing," Megan testified about the experience. "To be in front of everybody else, and they have to watch it – it's like I'm not even me." She also expressed frustration that Cooper knowingly amplified the reach of the fake video online, saying it created a space for people to speak negatively about her.
The ordeal began when Megan took the stand as a witness against Tory Lanez in his criminal trial three years ago. During the trial, she recounted how Lanez shot at her feet, wounding both, during a drunken rampage after a party at Kylie Jenner's house in July 2020. Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
However, Megan claims that Cooper engaged in a "coordinated campaign" with Lanez to harass and discredit her. She alleged that Cooper caused her severe emotional distress by liking the deepfake video on her @MobzWorld account on X (formerly Twitter) on June 8, 2024, and then urging her more than 100,000 followers across social media to check the "likes" section of her X account.
Cooper was called to the stand earlier this week and reportedly told jurors that she offered commentary about the 2020 shooting without any outside influence from Peterson. However, Megan's lawyers have raised questions about Cooper's credibility, citing her alleged ties to Peterson.
The trial is ongoing, but Megan's emotional testimony has shed light on the devastating impact of deepfakes and online harassment on individuals, particularly women. The Grammy-winning rapper's courage in sharing her story may help others who have faced similar experiences, offering a glimmer of hope that justice can be served.
I'm literally shook rn... Megan Thee Stallion's testimony is giving me LIFE, but also making me super sad 
like how can someone do this to another human being?! 
It's crazy how deepfakes and online harassment can ruin someone's mental health to the point where they question their own life value. 
I mean, I know we're living in an age where social media is a big part of our lives, but it's crazy how some people are using it as a tool for harm... like Cooper's alleged ties to Tory Lanez and Milagro Gramz?! 
That's just wild... I'm so glad Megan's being brave and sharing her story, though. It's giving me hope that justice will be served 
. it's so important for us to hold people accountable for this kind of behavior, especially when it comes to women who are already facing so much scrutiny in the public eye 
. let's hope that justice will be served and that Megan gets the support she needs to heal from this 
.
I'm literally shakin' my head thinkin' about this Megan Thee Stallion situation... it's just wild how easily someone can get twisted outta proportion online. I remember back in the day when we thought Twitter was all about free speech, but now we're seein' how it can be used to destroy people's lives. Like, deepfakes? That's some sci-fi stuff right there 
. And the fact that Cooper allegedly did this on purpose, just to mess with Megan... it's just sad. I feel for her, she's been through so much already what with the Tory Lanez situation and all 
. But y'know, at least now we're talkin' about it, and maybe people will start thinkin' twice before spreadin' nasty stuff online 
. Anyway, gotta say, I'm glad Megan spoke up... it's not gonna be easy for her, but she's brave 
. I don't know what the trial is gonna decide but hopefully justice gets served for her... and Cooper needs to be held accountable for what he did! 
. And it's not just the mental health impact, but also how it affects your public image and relationships 
. Can we please get better protection for creators on social media? It's not fair that they're expected to deal with all this drama and harassment 
.
she broke down talking about this deepfake video of herself that was created without her consent and shared online by some blogger... it's like, how r u supposed to deal with that kind of thing? 
. It's not just about Megan, it's about all the women who've faced similar situations 
.
? And 75% of these women are from marginalized communities 
. We need to support each other & create a safe online space for everyone 
.
. We need to start taking online harassment seriously and supporting our artists, especially women, who are often the ones affected by these kind of attacks 
it's crazy how one video can affect someone's mental health so much 
anyway, kudos to Megan for speaking out and sharing her story 
This whole thing is just mind-blowing... like how much harm one person can cause by liking a video online 
. It's crazy to think about Megan's experience - feeling defeated and questioning her own life because of someone else's cruelty 
. So yeah, deepfakes are bad enough, but the real danger is in the way people use them to manipulate and hurt others 
. It's a tough lesson to learn, but we gotta take responsibility for what we do online - even if it's just liking a post without thinking 
.
. I think what really gets me is that the deepfake video was created without her consent and then amplified online by someone who knew it was real 
. It's not just about the video itself, but how it affected her mental health and made her question her own value as a person 
