By Blessing Nweke
A federal jury on Monday ruled in favor of Megan Thee Stallion, finding that a blogger defamed and harassed the Grammy-winning rapper in the aftermath of her 2020 shooting but awarded damages far below what her legal team had sought.
The Miami jury, made up of five men and four women, concluded that blogger Milagro Gramz whose legal name is Milagro Cooper defamed the artist, born Megan Pete, through a series of online posts following the shooting by R&B performer Tory Lanez. Jurors awarded Megan $75,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, though U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga signaled the final amount could change when she issues a written judgment.
Megan’s attorney, Mari Henderson, praised the decision, saying it affirmed the “importance of truth, accountability and responsible commentary on social media.” She added that Florida’s fee-shifting legal provision means Cooper will be required to pay Megan’s legal costs related to the deepfake claim. “This verdict sends a clear message that spreading dangerous misinformation carries significant consequences,” Henderson said.
Jurors found that Cooper willfully encouraged her followers on X and Instagram to view a sexually explicit deepfake video of Megan that had been circulating online. Megan accused Cooper of acting as a “mouthpiece” and “paid surrogate” for Lanez, who shot her in the foot after the two left a party at Kylie Jenner’s home on July 15, 2020.
Cooper declined to answer questions as she left the courthouse but said she respected the jury’s decision. “Of course you want things to go your way,” she said. “But I respect what they decided.” Her attorney, Jeremy McLymont, noted that while the verdict wasn’t a full victory for either side, he was relieved the award didn’t reach seven figures.
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