One of the people representing Tory Lanez in his criminal appeal has been accused of rolling up a "marijuana cigarette" during a deposition as part of Megan Thee Stallion's defamation lawsuit.
As reported by Rolling Stone, attorneys representing Megan Thee Stallion in her case against YouTube gossip blogger Milagro Gramz, who has been accused of spreading defamatory statements against the rapper during the trial of Tory Lanez, alleged that Ceasar McDowell was "utterly disrespectful" and rolled a blunt during his deposition.
"Mr. McDowell’s misconduct went far beyond feigned forgetfulness. On camera and under oath, Mr. McDowell rolled a cigarette filled with a substance resembling marijuana during questioning, then smoked it during a break," the court filing from Megan's legal team reads. "He demanded painkillers, threatened to urinate in the deposition room, called plaintiff’s counsel a ‘bitch,’ made inappropriate comments about her appearance, and walked out mid-questioning."
McDowell is the CEO of the non-profit Unite the People, which is representing Tory Lanez in his criminal appeal over the 2022 felony conviction for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. He's not an attorney, but has repeatedly represented Lanez as a spokesperson. Megan's legal team is seeking sanctions against McDowell, who they said exhibited a "masterclass in bad faith."
During the deposition, McDowell reportedly said "I don't remeber" over 350 when asked questions by Megan's legal team. He also said "I don't know" 170 times, and "I don't recall" 43 times. They said that he gave "550 evasive non-answers that made meaningful testimony impossible." They also accused him of being "utterly disrespectful, uncivil, and antagonistic."
Following the filing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid ordered him to sit for another deposition before September 22. McDowell has been accused of being "enlisted" by Tory Lanez to spread defamatory statements during the trial.
"Ms. Pete sought the deposition to prove that UTP and Mr. McDowell use their relationship to funnel false information from the shooter, Daystar Peterson, through defendant [Cooper] into the public domain," the filing reads. "Mr. McDowell’s obstruction is part of a coordinated effort by key third parties to prevent the court and jury from learning the truth about their defamation campaign."
The defamation lawsuit, which was filed by Megan in October 2024, is set to begin in Florida in November. The YouTuber has denied the allegations.
DJ Akademiks also recently had a deposition as part of the civil lawsuit, during which he repeatedly referred to Megan Thee Stallion as "a liar."