Megan Thee Stallion Wins Defamation Case Over Deepfake Harassment

A federal jury in Miami has ruled in favor of Megan Thee Stallion in a civil defamation and harassment case against blogger Milagro “Milagro Gramz” Cooper. The panel found that Cooper spread false statements about the Grammy-winning rapper and promoted a sexually explicit deepfake video connected to the 2020 shooting involving musician Tory Lanez.

After two days of deliberations, jurors determined that Cooper intentionally inflicted emotional distress, defamed Megan — born Megan Pete — and encouraged online followers to view the manipulated video. According to NBC News, the jury initially awarded $75,000 in damages, but U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga later reduced the amount to $59,000 in compliance with Florida law. Court filings also indicate that Pete may recover more than $1 million in legal fees.

Pete testified that years of online harassment had negatively affected her mental health. She did not speak to reporters after the verdict but appeared satisfied with the outcome. Cooper expressed disappointment in post-trial comments to local media but said she respected the jury’s decision.

The lawsuit alleged that Cooper acted in support of Lanez — real name Daystar Peterson — who was convicted in 2022 of shooting Pete after a party at Kylie Jenner’s home in July 2020. Evidence presented in court showed that Cooper received money from Lanez’s father and directed her audience to the deepfake video. Cooper denied coordinating with Lanez, arguing her posts were protected commentary, but jurors rejected that defense.

Lanez, serving a 10-year prison sentence in California, declined repeated efforts to obtain his deposition in the civil case and was fined for obstructing pretrial discovery. His links to Cooper were referenced multiple times throughout the trial and in prior court proceedings related to harassment allegations.

Jurors also classified Cooper as a media defendant but concluded she did not act with neutrality. The verdict highlights increasing concerns over digital harassment, deepfake technology, and coordinated online abuse targeting public figures, particularly Black women.