California is asking a federal judge to throw out Tory Lanez's $100 million federal lawsuit over his prison stabbing.
According to newly filed court documents reviewed by Complex, Attorney General Rob Bonta's office submitted a motion on Wednesday (July 29) seeking to dismiss every claim against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, arguing the agency cannot legally be sued under the federal law Lanez is relying on. Specifically, the AG is claiming that the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution gives the state immunity from being sued in federal court.
The amendment says, “The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.” The AG’s office makes the argument that this prohibition applies as well to any action against a state by one of its own citizens.
The motion asks the court to dismiss Lanez’s claims without giving his attorneys an opportunity to amend the complaint.
A hearing on the request is set for August 26 in federal court in Los Angeles.
The 34-year-old singer-rapper, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, filed the lawsuit on April 14, claiming he was attacked by another inmate armed with an improvised weapon at the California Correctional Institution on May 12, 2025.
Lanez, who is serving a ten year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, said in his complaint that he suffered permanent facial scarring and two collapsed lungs after he was stabbed 16 times.
Lanez also claimed in his complaint that prison officials knew the alleged attacker had a “violent history” and should not have housed him near Peterson, whose "high-profile celebrity status" allegedly made him an obvious target.
The lawsuit also claims correctional staff were not present when the attack happened, failed to respond appropriately, delayed medical treatment, and later unlawfully seized Peterson's property after he was transferred to another prison.
He also claimed that songbooks with unpublished lyrics of “substantial commercial value” and notes to his attorney were taken while he was recovering in a hospital.
Lanez’s $100 million damages request also included a reported $1 million per stab wound, and $10 million for his facial scarring.
