Brian Steel’s courtroom stock is soaring after Lil Durk’s acquittal, and now some fans want the high-profile defense attorney involved in Tory Lanez’s fight for freedom.
Social media erupted with calls for Steel to take on Lanez’s case following Durk’s not-guilty verdict in his federal murder-for-hire trial. Steel has built a reputation through major celebrity cases involving Young Thug and Diddy, and his latest victory immediately sparked questions about whether different representation could have changed Lanez’s fate.
Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, is serving a 10-year sentence for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. His legal options have continued shrinking. A California appeals court rejected his direct appeal in November 2025, finding that alleged trial errors were harmless in light of what it described as overwhelming evidence. The California Supreme Court later declined to review the case.
Lanez’s defense has spent years challenging pieces of the prosecution’s case.
Independent eyewitness Sean Kelly testified about seeing an altercation and initially seeing flashes near a woman, though he also described seeing a shorter man “firing everywhere.” Kelsey Harris gave prosecutors a recorded pretrial account identifying Lanez as the shooter, then recanted much of that account on the witness stand and said she could not remember key details.
The defense also pointed toward gunshot residue found on both Lanez and Harris, inconclusive DNA findings on the firearm and alleged irregularities involving medical records. More recent filings have raised potential Brady violation claims surrounding allegedly undisclosed medical and security documentation.
Prosecutors relied heavily on Megan’s testimony identifying Lanez as the shooter, medical evidence confirming bullet fragments were removed from her feet and communications following the incident. Lanez texted Megan afterward, saying, “I was just too drunk,” while also apologizing during a recorded jail call to Harris.
His appellate attorneys argued those apologies concerned the argument surrounding the incident rather than an admission to the shooting.
With his major state appeals exhausted, Lanez’s remaining paths are increasingly narrow. His team continues pursuing collateral legal challenges while exploring clemency from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
That reality is fueling the Brian Steel conversation. Fans questioning Lanez’s original legal strategy now see one of hip-hop’s most prominent defense attorneys coming off another major courtroom win and wonder what might have happened if Steel had been sitting at Lanez’s table from the beginning.