Megan Thee Stallion launched her defamation case in a Florida federal courtroom this week, accusing Milagro Gramz of spreading false claims, boosting a fake pornographic video and aligning with Tory Lanez to damage her reputation and career.

The trial opened with Milagro Gramz taking the stand as the first witness. Her first defense? She believed the explicit video she shared of Megan was authentic, according to Megan Cunifh, who is covering the trial.

That claim could carry legal consequences. Under Florida law, distributing sexually explicit content of a real person without their consent, commonly referred to as “revenge p###,” can trigger both civil and criminal penalties, especially if the content is not digitally altered.

Though Milagro’s defense hinges on her belief that the video was real, that admission may not protect her from liability.

John O’Sullivan played audio of the gunshots from the 2020 shooting involving Tory Lanez, then told jurors that Milagro saw the incident as “her shot at the spotlight.”

Milagro’s attorney, Jeremy McLymont, argued she simply called Megan a liar “because Megan lied.”

The defamation lawsuit, filed in October 2024, alleges that Milagro orchestrated a targeted social media campaign that disseminated falsehoods about the rapper’s testimony in the criminal trial against Lanez.

Megan’s legal team claims the harassment campaign cost her major business deals, including a brand partnership with Google, and forced her to step back from public engagements due to the emotional toll.

“These were career-amplifying opportunities that were available to Ms. Pete, but she could not capitalize on, as she was unable to be fully present in her career due to the ongoing campaign of harassment that persisted for years,” a memorandum submitted to the court stated.

The filings also allege that Lanez and his father, Sonstar Peterson, financially supported Milagro’s efforts to spread misinformation about the case, even after Tory Lanez’s conviction.

The court previously ruled that Milagro cannot claim journalistic protections under the First Amendment.

In livestreams, she admitted, “I did not tell anybody I was a reporter… I ain’t never told you I went to school for journalism… You don’t need to be a journalist to give an opinion.”

That admission, according to the judge, disqualified her from protections typically granted to working reporters. Megan’s legal team also secured sanctions against her for deleting evidence and failing to comply with discovery orders.

Milagro Gramz has denied all allegations and any coordination with Lanez.

The trial is expected to continue throughout the week and conclude on Wednesday, pending testimony from both parties and expert witnesses.

The jury will determine whether Gramz’s actions meet the legal standard for defamation and if Megan should be awarded damages.

Tory Lanez, who was convicted in 2022 of shooting Megan in the foot, is currently serving a 10-year sentence. His appeal was recently denied.