A federal jury in Miami ruled in favor of Megan Thee Stallion in her civil defamation lawsuit against blogger Milagro Gramz.
Megan Thee Stallion accused Gramz of promoting a deepfake porn video of her and working with Tory Lanez to spread false stories about the shooting incident for which Lanez is imprisoned.
The jury found Gramz liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress (by coordinating with Lanez to discredit the rapper), and sharing the explicit deepfake video.
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The Grammy-winning artist, Megan Pete, was awarded $75,000 in damages. Gramz’s liability for promoting the video also makes her responsible for Megan’s legal fees, which are expected to exceed $1 million, according to Rolling Stone.
The jury’s surprising decision to label Cooper a “media defendant” could lead to the defamation charge being dismissed, as media outlets require advance notice that Cooper did not get. This “media defendant” finding was made even though the jury also said Cooper was acting on behalf of a client or personal interest.
The jury awarded a total of $75,000: $73,000 in compensatory damages ($15,000 for defamation, $8,000 for emotional distress, and $50,000 for the video) and $2,000 in punitive damages ($1,000 each for defamation and emotional distress).
“We are thankful for the jury’s commitment to reinforcing the importance of truth, accountability and responsible commentary on social media,” Megan’s lawyer, Mari Henderon, said in a statement. “Not only is Milagro being held accountable for paying Megan compensatory and punitive damages, but Florida’s fee-shifting legal provision will require her to cover costs of Megan’s legal bills on the deepfake claim. This verdict sends a clear message that spreading dangerous misinformation carries significant consequences.”
After the verdict, Cooper told reporters outside the courthouse that she was disappointed but respected the jury’s decision, Legal Affairs & Trials reported. Her attorney later praised Cooper for “stand[ing] up for her voice” as an independent content creator.
“The jury awarded a nominal amount of damages compared to the millions of dollars Ms. Pete demanded from Ms. Cooper throughout the course of this litigation,” lawyer Jeremy McLymont said. “Evidently, the jury did not believe that Ms. Cooper was the sole cause of Ms. Pete’s emotional distress, and that is reflected in their verdict. The jury’s verdict also reminds us that you cannot sue media defendants without providing the proper due process.”
Megan Thee Stallion sued blogger Milagro “Gramz” Cooper in October 2024. Megan claimed Cooper, a supporter of Tory Lanez (convicted of shooting Megan in 2020), spread false rumors about her, like claiming she lied under oath and has an alcohol problem, as revenge for her testimony. Megan also alleged Cooper promoted a deepfake video of her. Though Megan didn’t accuse Cooper of creating the deepfake, evidence showed Cooper “liked” and directed followers to the video on her @MobzWorld X account. She testified that the online harassment severely affected her mental health.
“I know it’s not me, but to be in front of everybody else, and they have to watch it — it’s really embarrassing,” Megan testified on Nov. 20, according to NBC News. Megan claimed Cooper knowingly amplified the reach of the fake video online, causing her severe emotional distress.
Megan Thee Stallion testified that the alleged harassment by Cooper “created a space for a lot of people to come speak negatively about me,” according to ABC News. She told the jury she felt “defeated” because even though the video was fake, Cooper “wanted it to be real.”
The rapper stated that Cooper’s actions—including calling her a liar, “a professional victim,” and mentally unstable—took a serious toll. The negative effects on her mental health were reportedly severe; her close friend, Travis Farris, testified that after the video circulated, Megan’s mental health plummeted, leading her to seek help for depression at a therapy center costing $240,000 a month.
“I felt like nobody cared that I was shot,” Megan testified. “I know everyone was making jokes about it.” She described feeling so despondent at one point, she questioned the value of her life.
“There was a time that I genuinely didn’t care if I lived or died,” she said, according to ABC News. “I felt like no way I mattered. No way I should even be living. I don’t want to be here. I’m tired of waking up. I just wanted to die. I was so tired of being alive.”
Megan said she’s convinced Peterson’s camp prompted Cooper to call her an alcoholic with a family of alcoholics. “Again, I don’t know Milagro, and Milagro doesn’t know me, and a lot of my family is deceased. … So why do you sound so sure talking about my family?” Megan testified, according to Legal Affairs and Trials.
Megan Thee Stallion testified that she believes a witness, Cooper, was influenced by Peterson’s side to call her an alcoholic. Cooper, who admitted receiving money from Peterson’s father for personal or promotional reasons, denied any influence from Peterson, claiming her commentary on the 2020 shooting and 2022 trial was protected by the First Amendment.
Peterson, 33, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence in California, repeatedly refused to cooperate in the civil case. He even refused to answer simple questions, such as how he met Cooper. Because of his obstruction, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid fined him $20,000 for contempt in a Nov. 16 ruling.
He had also been ordered to pay Megan’s legal costs following an aggressive videotaped deposition in April. Peterson did not testify at his criminal trial, which led to his conviction on all three felony counts. His later attempt to overturn the verdict was recently denied by California’s Second Appellate District.
Megan Thee Stallion received a five-year restraining order against Tory Lanez (Peterson) after testifying in January about his ongoing harassment since he shot her. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard Bloom granted the order until January 9, 2030, citing the “uncontroverted fact” that Peterson shot her, requiring him to stay 100 yards away and cease all harassment.
READ ALSO: Tory Lanez: Legal Team Claims Artiste Did Not Shoot Megan Thee Stallion; This Is Why
