Tory Lanez’s spokesperson slams TMZ for airing phone interview with the man who stabbed the rapper 

Tory Lanez’s team has issued strong criticism of TMZ for airing a phone interview with the man who allegedly stabbed the rapper in prison last month. The Canadian artist’s spokesperson, Diana London, condemned the media outlet for giving a platform to Santino Casio, the inmate who claimed he acted in self-defense during the altercation that left Lanez hospitalized.

According to a report by AllHipHop dated June 16, 2025, London said:

"TMZ, of all people, give this disgusting, vile human being a platform to spew those lies when this man [Tory], at that point, [was] in a bed in the hospital fighting for his life. And we have to defend, instead of talking about the well-being of this man who’s innocent already and who is a victim of many people in the system who railroaded this guy."

This incident reportedly happened while Lanez was serving time for his 2022 conviction for shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion. After the attack, Lanez was moved to a different correctional facility.

Lanez’s team alleges that the media coverage surrounding the incident has been misleading and insensitive, particularly in presenting the narrative offered by Casio.

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Santino Casio claims he acted in self-defense, alleges Tory Lanez threatened him

According to the interview aired by TMZ, Santino Casio said he and Lanez were on good terms before the incident. He claimed the situation escalated after Lanez allegedly made threatening remarks and brandished a weapon. Casio further alleged that Lanez had placed a “bounty” on his head, prompting him to defend himself.

According to Santino Casio, both he and Lanez were injured in the altercation, including a stab wound to Casio's leg.

Tory Lanez’s spokesperson denied these allegations. Questioning both the logic and credibility behind Casio’s version of events, Diana London asked:

“Why in the hell would Tory want to kill someone when he literally could be pardoned or get out of prison? He has everything to lose at this point."

There are very few details regarding the alleged incident, and there has been no statement from authorities supporting Santino Casio's claims regarding threats made by Lanez, or any "bounty". Tory Lanez’s legal team has not yet filed any new motions related to the stabbing.

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Tory Lanez’s team says that the rapper is innocent in the Megan Thee Stallion case

Tory Lanez’s spokesperson also spoke about the rapper’s claim of innocence and his cooperation with the investigation in the Megan Thee Stallion case. However, the stabbing incident is not directly related to it. Diana London said:

“Tory voluntarily gave his DNA, because they were like, ‘Would you come in and do a swab?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’ Because he knew that his fingerprints weren’t on that gun. It wasn’t his gun.”

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In December 2022, rapper Tory Lanez was convicted on three felony counts, including assault with a semi-automatic firearm, carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. On August 8, 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to a report by ABC News published on the same day.

His full sentence is expected to end in 2033, and his earliest parole eligibility begins in 2029.

Edited by Riya Peter