Three-time Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Pete) is known for her viral songs, bold lyrics and authoritative, unapologetic presence on and off stage.
But her documentary, “Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words,” exposes the duality of her life story — the pain and grief that have shaped her into the artist she is today. She is reclaiming her narrative and taking back control.
Released on Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 31, it marks almost two years since a jury convicted rapper Tory Lanez of shooting Stallion after a Los Angeles party in July 2022.
Watching her documentary was honestly a bit of a whirlwind.
The documentary delves into her early childhood in Houston, Texas, and the immense impact her mother, Holly Thomas, had on her career. We get a candid look at Stallion’s grief she endured after her mother passed away in 2019 from a brain tumor.
Thomas was a rapper and guided Stallion in the music industry, coaching her through performing and how to appear to the public eye.
In the documentary, Stallion revealed she had to decide to remove her mother from life support.
It’s hard to understand that Stallion has experienced years of trauma but carefully concealed behind the persona crafted for her fans. Looking from the outside in, no one could have expected the pain she hid for years.
The same year Stallion’s mother passed, Lanez entered her life.
The documentary marks Stallion’s first time describing and speaking about the shooting and her mental health since the trial.
I decided to watch to understand her perspective better.
When Stallion first accused Lanez of shooting her, many critics in the media didn’t believe her. In the documentary, we are shown clips of celebrities questioning her side and showing support for Lanez. Public figures like 50 Cent, Lebron James, DaBaby and Drake all doubted her.
She shared that the hate became so intense online that she started to experience suicidal thoughts. Feeling like a target onstage, Stallion needed some reprieve, so in November 2022, she checked herself into a wellness retreat for a month.
After the retreat, in the documentary, Stallion said that she “Felt like a new bitch.”
The film did a good job of keeping things upbeat while sharing some truly vulnerable and candid information. It emphasizes the double standards when it comes to gender and embracing sexuality.
One surprising part of Stallion’s documentary is her admitting she was romantically involved with Lanez. In April 2022, Stallion had an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King in which she denied ever having an intimate relationship with him.
In “Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words,” Stallion admits it was a lie. She details, frustratingly so, that if people knew they were once involved, they would get wrapped up in her sex life instead of the shooting.
“Yes, bitch, I lied to Gayle King,” she says in the documentary and goes on to say that they were intimate once or twice “on a drunk night.”
A key part of the documentary was Stallion’s disappointment in her close friend, Kelsey Harris, who betrayed her in the trial. Harris pleaded the fifth to avoid answering questions in the testimony and claimed she did not see Lanez fire the gun at Stallion.
Toward the end of the film, we see the final hours before the verdict is revealed and the rush of emotions Stallion experiences.
She recalled her thinking the day before the testimony; “I need to show up for Megan Pete… today is not about trying to look strong. It’s OK to be sad. I need to stop avoiding it.”
Charged with 10 years in prison, Lanez was found guilty of three felony charges: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Amid tears, she says, “If I didn’t think there was a God before, I know that motherfucker up there now.”
I was so absorbed in her story. Her documentary offers an intimate, in-depth look at her most vulnerable moments, revealing a new side of Stallion — the real Megan Pete.
