A federal judge in Florida reinstated a $75,000 defamation verdict against blogger Milagro Gramz on Friday, 29 May 2026, ruling in favour of rapper Megan Thee Stallion and finding that Gramz was paid by Tory Lanez and his father to publish false content attacking Megan’s credibility.
Judge Cecilia Altonaga reversed her own earlier decision that had partially overturned the verdict, concluding that Gramz does not qualify as a journalist for the purposes of defamation law.
As reported by Billboard, the court found that Gramz acted on behalf of Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, and his father when she published posts claiming Megan had lied and attempted to deceive courts during Lanez’s criminal trial.
Megan Thee Stallion’s defamation verdict explained
The original jury verdict, returned in December 2025, found Gramz liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and sharing deepfake pornography, and awarded Megan $75,000 in damages.
The verdict was partially vacated after the jury determined that Gramz, who operates under the name Milagro Gramz, qualified as a member of the media, which would have required Megan’s legal team to complete a pre-lawsuit notice process applicable to defamation claims against journalists.
Judge Altonaga revisited that classification and reversed herself, concluding that Gramz does not meet the legal threshold for journalist status in this context.
With that classification removed, the notice requirement falls away and the original $75,000 award is fully reinstated.
How the judge reversed and reinstated the Megan Thee Stallion ruling
Evidence presented during the proceedings showed that Gramz received at least $2,500 from Lanez and his father in exchange for publishing material that targeted Megan during the criminal case.
The court found this arrangement to be coordinated and purposeful, not the product of independent journalistic activity.
Lanez is currently serving a ten-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2022 of shooting Megan in the foot at a party in Los Angeles in July 2020.
He was not present for the defamation proceedings but was identified as the driving force behind the conduct Gramz was paid to carry out.
What the defamation verdict means for Tory Lanez
The ruling does not directly affect Lanez’s criminal sentence, but it adds a civil dimension to the legal record of the conduct surrounding his case.
The court’s finding that he and his father paid Gramz to spread false information about a crime victim while criminal proceedings were active is a significant factual determination on the public record.
Gramz’s legal team has not indicated whether they intend to appeal the reinstated verdict.
Megan Thee Stallion has not made a public statement in response to the ruling, though her legal team confirmed the verdict stands and enforcement proceedings may follow if payment is not made voluntarily.
