Megan Thee Stallion can continue to pursue her defamation lawsuit against a vocal Tory Lanez supporter after a Florida judge ruled the Grammy-winning rapper made a “compelling case” that blogger Milagro Gramz acted with a “reckless disregard for the truth” when posting about the celebrity.
Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga also ruled, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone, that the popular social media personality could not shield herself from the lawsuit through protections typically afforded to members of the media, writing the “allegations … depict a campaign, not journalism.”
Megan, born Megan Pete, first took action against Gramz in October, claiming the YouTuber was spearheading a “coordinated campaign of smear and harassment” against her after Pete accused Lanez of shooting her in the foot in summer 2020. (Lanez was convicted of shooting Pete in December 2022 and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence.)
Throughout the trial and its aftermath, the blogger, real name Milagro Cooper, is accused of using her various social media accounts to spread “vicious and hateful rumors” about Pete, according to the lawsuit. In a 43-page amended complaint filed in December, Pete accused Cooper of being paid by members of Lanez’s family to spread lies about her.
Pete sued Cooper for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and spreading a deepfake pornographic video of her. Cooper quickly filed a motion to dismiss the case in November, claiming Pete made “dubious legal claims and irrelevant and impertinent allegations.”
However, on Friday, Judge Altonaga denied Cooper’s motion in part, allowing for Pete’s case to move forward. “Defendant downplays these allegations [of defamation and acting out of ‘pure hatred,’] arguing that ‘spite’ and a failure to investigate do not establish actual malice,” Judge Altonaga wrote. “But Plaintiff’s claims extend far beyond mere negligence — they paint a picture of an intentional campaign to destroy her reputation. That is more than enough to satisfy the pleading standard.”
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“This decision does not reflect a determination on the merits of the case,” Cooper’s attorney Michael Pancier said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “The plaintiff must now substantiate her claims with credible and admissible evidence.”
In the fervor surrounding the high-profile trial and social media storm that ensued, Pete had vowed to pursue legal action against popular social media personalities who disparaged and discredited her testimony. “It’s time to hold bloggers accountable for years of harassment, cyberbullying, and the publication of misinformation about my personal and professional life,” Pete said in a statement in October. “I’ve endured countless attacks on my character based on false narratives from social media bloggers misrepresenting themselves as journalists. It’s unacceptable behavior and these individuals need to understand there will be repercussions for recklessly posting lies and defamatory falsehoods.”
Cooper’s X/Twitter account has since been suspended. According to court documents, Cooper’s team informed the court on Jan. 30 they had issued settlement proposals to three counts out of four claims to Pete’s legal team. No settlement appears to have been reached.
