Megan Thee Stallion vs. Milagro Cooper Trial: Defamation Case

The courtroom in Miami has become the latest arena in one of hip-hop’s most contentious legal battles, as Megan Thee Stallion’s federal defamation trial against online commentator Milagro Cooper officially commenced on Monday, November 18. At the heart of the case is the rapper’s assertion that Cooper used her significant platform to relentlessly harass and discredit her following Megan’s courageous testimony against Tory Lanez in the 2020 shooting case.

Megan Thee Stallion is pursuing three powerful claims: defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and, critically, the promotion of an AI-altered sexual depiction. This third claim relies on a new 2024 Florida law that penalizes the knowing circulation of deepfake sexual content featuring identifiable people. Megan’s complaint highlights evidence that Cooper liked an explicit deepfake video of the rapper on X and then directed her audience, both on X and on her Stationhead channel, to view and circulate the damaging altered clip.

The trial proceedings began with the seating of nine jurors, who were vetted for any biases regarding the highly publicized Lanez conviction. These jurors are expected to review deposition footage from Tory Lanez himself, alongside video excerpts from other high-profile online commentators like Adin Ross and DJ Akademiks. Milagro Cooper took the stand as the first witness, where she admitted directing followers to the explicit AI video but defended her actions by claiming the video was already circulating and she was simply covering an independent story.

However, Cooper did acknowledge that she hoped her coverage would eventually earn her an exclusive interview with Lanez. With U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga denying an earlier motion to dismiss, the trial is now fully underway and is anticipated to run through the following Wednesday, potentially extending past the Thanksgiving holiday as Megan Thee Stallion fights for accountability and vindication.