California prison officials are asking a federal judge to throw out Tory Lanez’s $100 million lawsuit over the brutal stabbing that left him with 16 wounds and two collapsed lungs.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation filed its dismissal motion on July 29, arguing that federal courts cannot hear the claims against the state agency.
Lanez was attacked inside California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi on May 12, 2025. According to the lawsuit, inmate Santino Casio approached the rapper with a homemade weapon and stabbed him across his face, head, back and torso.
Lanez was airlifted to a Bakersfield hospital and placed on a ventilator before his condition stabilized.
“Truthfully, I’ve done my best to keep my head above water, but mentally, I’ve gone through trauma that I sometimes even struggle with,” he told NBC News.
His attorneys claim prison officials knew Casio had a violent history but still allowed the men to be housed together. They also accused guards of responding too slowly during the attack.
The lawsuit seeks approximately $1 million for each wound and $10 million for facial scarring. It also alleges staff confiscated handwritten songbooks containing unreleased music.
Tory Lanez is serving a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.
