MIAMI — A jury found Milagro Cooper, better known for her entertainment coverage as “Milagro Gramz,” liable for defaming Megan Pete, better known as Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
The jury found Cooper intentionally inflicted emotional distress by coordinating to promote a deep fake video and recommended $75,000 in damages.
“It wasn’t a multi-million dollar verdict, so I think that’s a blessing,” Cooper said.
Attorney Jeremy A. McLymont, who represented Cooper, said it was not a complete win for either side.
“We respect the jury verdict,” McLymont said. “We always have to, whether we agree with it or not, we respect it.”
Daystar Peterson, better known as Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, was at the center of the case.
Pete sued Cooper on Oct. 29, 2024, claiming Cooper “acted on behalf of” Peterson as “an online rumor mill churning out falsehoods ... to her tens of thousands of social media followers.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid, who has been presiding over the case, fined Peterson $20,000 “for his obstruction” after Pete’s attorneys’ failed attempts to depose him, records show.
After the verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga formally entered a judgment, which is the official court order stating the outcome, including any damages awarded.
“We’ll wait for the judge’s orders, but there were no mistakes,” Attorney John O’Sullivan, who represents Pete, said.
Altonaga set the damages at $59,000. O’Sullivan had suggested that compensatory and punitive damages were at least $30 million.
The jurors determined Cooper defamed Pete when she accused her online of lying under oath about Peterson shooting her in Los Angeles.
The jurors also concluded that since Cooper was a “media” defendant, Pete was required to provide pre-suit notice before filing the defamation claim.
To calculate the final judgment, Altonaga decided to exclude the $16,000 in damages for defamation since neither Pete nor her legal team provided the pre-suit notice as required.
Altanoga had yet to make a final ruling on whether or not Pete was entitled to attorney’s fees. Cooper plans to appeal.
LOS ANGELES SHOOTING
According to Los Angeles detectives, Peterson and Pete “were riding in an SUV in the Hollywood Hills” and Peterson shot at Pete “five times” after she “got out of the vehicle” on July 12, 2020.
After a trial, Peterson was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford sentenced Peterson to 10 years in prison on Aug. 8, 2023.
“Peterson has engaged in a pattern of conduct that was intended to intimidate Ms. Pete and silence her,” District Attorney Gascón said after the sentencing -- also praising “her incredible bravery and vulnerability as she underwent months of probing investigation and court appearances where she had to relive her trauma.”
Peterson lost his appeal on Nov. 12. A Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard Bloom ordered Peterson to stay away from Pete as part of a restraining order that is valid until Jan. 9, 2030.
Related document: Read the civil lawsuit
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