Rapper Tory Lanez has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, alleging negligence and failure to protect him during a violent prison attack.
Lanez claims he was stabbed 16 times by fellow inmate Santino Casio in May 2025 at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, details severe injuries including permanent facial scarring and two collapsed lungs.
"The prison showed deliberate indifference to foreseeable violence," Lanez alleges in court documents, claiming guards failed to adequately protect him despite his celebrity status making him a target.
The rapper specifically names warden Danny Samuel, accusing him of violating CDCR protocols by housing Lanez with Casio, whom the lawsuit describes as having a "violent history." Lanez also claims prison staff were absent during the attack and that their response was inexplicably delayed.
In a shocking additional claim, Lanez alleges that while recovering in the hospital, prison officials seized his original song books containing unpublished lyrics and notes with his attorney. He asserts these materials have "substantial commercial value."
The $100 million damages request includes $1 million per stab wound, though the full breakdown of the claim remains unspecified. The lawsuit targets not only the CDCR and warden Samuel but also 50 corrections officers at the facility.
Video footage of the attack shows Lanez soaked in blood, with the rapper's legal team arguing the visual evidence demonstrates how close he came to death. The incident represents another chapter in Lanez's legal troubles, which began with his conviction for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.