Nicci Gilbert is rescinding her support of Tory Lanez after he was found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
On Saturday, December 24, the founding member of R&B group Brownstone posted a video of herself taking down all the awards and plaques she received from the success of Tory Lanez's smash 2015 hit "Say It." Lanez, along with producers Autoro “Toro” Whitfield and Pop Wansel, sampled Brownstone's 1995 classic "If You Love Me" 20 years after its release. Following the guilty verdict that was announced last week, Gilbert says she feels bad for Lanez but also doesn't tolerate violence against women at all.
"The Jury has spoken and I respect the jury’s decision," Gilbert wrote in her caption. "I hate to see another young black man going to jail, especially days before Christmas. I feel terrible for his children and family…Honestly I feel bad for Tory. At the same time I support Meg and I believe her."
"It’s a shame that our community is so broken that we relentlessly attack victims, but I get it," she continued. "Hurt people hurt people…This victory was a win for all victims and hopefully sent a strong message. I stand with MTS as an advocate for women and girls. I pray for Tory as an advocate for artists and creatives."
Gilbert had previously praised Lanez's hit and told Essence in 2016 that he "did a great job" with "Say It." They even reunited on Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform the song together. However, due to the violent circumstances involved in Lanez's case with Megan, Gilbert won't support him. In addition to taking a stance against Tory Lanez, she also appeared to insinuate that she still hasn't seen any payments from his hit song.
"I’m taking these awards down in protest of Violence against women. I will not tolerate it under any circumstances," she concluded. "Before y’all ask me to give some money back from the single…I’m still waiting on that paperwork from 2015🤷🏾♀️"
Lanez was found guilty of felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a concealed firearm in his vehicle, and negligent discharge of a firearm. He was immediately taken into to custody and booked at Los Angeles County Jail. He was denied bail and will find out his sentence during a hearing on January 27, 2023.