California — Rapper Tory Lanez has filed a federal lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), its warden, and prison staff, seeking $100 million in damages after surviving a violent stabbing attack in May 2025.
According to court documents, Lanez, currently serving a 10-year sentence for his 2022 conviction in the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, was stabbed 16 times by fellow inmate Santino Casio at Tehachapi prison on May 12, 2025. The attack reportedly targeted Lanez in an unprovoked assault, leaving him hospitalized with multiple injuries, including a collapsed lung. He was emergency airlifted to a local hospital for treatment.
The lawsuit alleges that prison officials negligently housed Lanez with Casio, who has a documented history of violent offenses. Casio is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder, and he previously faced convictions for assault with a deadly weapon in 2008 and manufacturing a deadly weapon in 2018. Lanez’s attorneys claim that CDCR officials either knew or should have known that placing him with Casio created a “foreseeably dangerous situation.”
The filing further claims that correctional officers failed to respond promptly during the attack, neglecting to deploy emergency measures such as flash grenades or smoke devices. Lanez’s legal team also points out that his high-profile celebrity status made him a particularly vulnerable target inside the facility.
In addition to the physical and emotional injuries he sustained, the lawsuit alleges that prison staff unlawfully seized Lanez’s songbooks, containing unpublished lyrics with substantial commercial value, and have refused to return them.
CDCR spokesperson Ike Dodson declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.
Lanez’s attorneys maintain that the prison system’s negligence directly caused both the attack and the subsequent emotional and professional harm, seeking accountability for what they describe as a preventable, life-threatening incident.
