Canadian rapper Drake has thrown his support behind fellow artist Tory Lanez by urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to issue a pardon. Drake made his stance public via Instagram, where he shared a link to a Change.org petition titled “Correct a Deep Injustice,” along with a message directed at Lanez: “@torylanez come home soon.”
The petition has gathered over 250,000 signatures and argues that Lanez’s 2023 conviction was based on insufficient physical evidence. It accuses the justice system of bias and calls for the removal of what it refers to as “politically motivated sentencing enhancements.”
Tory Lanez—real name Daystar Peterson—is currently serving a 10-year sentence for the 2020 shooting of rapper Megan Thee Stallion. He was found guilty of firing a weapon that injured Megan in the foot after an argument inside a vehicle in the Hollywood Hills.
Calls for a pardon have intensified following disturbing reports that Lanez was recently stabbed 14 times by a fellow inmate. Sources say he received treatment at a medical facility in Bakersfield before being returned to the prison hospital.
Although Governor Newsom has the power to issue a pardon since the case was handled by a California state court, his office has yet to make any official statement. Drake’s public endorsement adds celebrity influence to the growing movement, but whether it will affect legal or political decisions remains to be seen.