Tory Lanez may be behind bars, but he isn’t done fighting. According to TMZ, the rapper filed an ethics complaint on Monday, October 28. The complaint is being leveled at Shawn Holley, a California attorney who briefly represented Lanez during his trial. The rapper feels as though he was not properly informed about Holley’s business associations prior to hiring her. Furthermore, Tory Lanez alleges that Holley purposely quit representing him without giving him enough time to find a replacement.
In the complaint obtained by TMZ, Tory Lanez points to Shawn Holley’s entertainment career. He noted that the attorney is a producer on the TV series Reasonable Doubt. Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Savage (Remix)” was featured in the show’s second season. Lanez believes that Holley’s alleged ties to Roc Nation and Megan Thee Stallion denoted a conflict of interest during his case. Especially since Megan was the person that Tory Lanez was convicted of shooting. The rapper’s complaint alleges that Holley had Roc Nation’s best interest in mind when she agreed to represent him.
Tory Lanez Wants His Attorney Fees Reimbursed
Tory Lanez alleges that Holley withdrew when he refused to make a plea deal. The attorney walked away from Lanez a mere five days before he was sentenced. The attorney claims that she quit after Lanez decided to go for the “Kelsey defense” in court. This defense posits that Megan Thee Stallion’s friend, Kelsey Harris, was the real shooter. This was something that led to Holley’s departure, and Lanez going and getting Jose Baez and Matthew Barhoma to represent him.
In an email obtained by Legal Affairs and Trials, Shawn Holley claimed that she not wish to pursue this angle. “I am not comfortable advancing the Kelsey Defense,'” she explained to Tory Lanez. “Primarily because I don’t find it to be a viable strategy.” Lanez wants the money he paid Holley to be returned. He also wants the attorney to be reprimanded by the California State Bar, according to TMZ. Holley has dismissed Lanez’s accusations as “meritless,” however. She told the outlet that the rapper tried and failed to level similar accusations a year ago.
About The Author
Elias Andrews is a music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as the lead night shift contributor, which means he covers new music releases on a weekly basis.
In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest and most turbulent stories in the world of music. He covered the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and the release of the disses “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams,” in particular, in real time. He has also detailed the ongoing list of allegations and criminal charges made against Diddy.
Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
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