(CNN) Megan Thee Stallion is moving forward.
The “Savage” rapper, whose legal name is Megan Pete, released an essay for Elle Magazine on Tuesday in which she details her healing journey after being shot in the feet by rapper Tory Lanez in July 2020.
“Reflecting on the past three years, I consider myself a survivor, as I truly survived the unimaginable,” Pete wrote.
She described how she not only survived being shot by a friend she thought she could trust, but how she also overcame “the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by this individual for the whole world to see”.
“It never occurred to me that people wouldn’t believe me,” she wrote, adding that she nevertheless “knew that the truth and hard facts would prevail.”
Pete accused Lanez of shooting her after she got out of a vehicle they were riding in following an argument in the summer of 2020. Lanez was charged with three counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. automatic, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm through gross negligence, prosecutors say.
In December, Pete testified at trial, and a Los Angeles jury ultimately found Lanez guilty, convicting him on all three counts.
The guilty verdict was more than just vindication for her, she wrote this week – “it was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, fired and blamed for a violent crime committed against her”.
“My heart aches for all the women in the world who are suffering in silence, especially if you are a black woman who doesn’t seem to need help.”
Pete also described building a public front amid a private struggle that affected every area of his life – including his music.
“I was in such a low place I didn’t even know what I wanted to rap about,” she wrote, later adding, “there would be times when I was literally backstage or in my hotel , crying my eyes out , and then I should get Megan Pete together and be Megan Thee Stallion.”
Pete said she still struggles with anxiety, but now finds herself in a “happier place” thanks to journaling, prayer and setting boundaries with those she lets in. his life. She is also working on new music.
“I’m ready to show everyone that all the dirt they threw at me doesn’t stick,” she said.
The Grammy-winning rapper doesn’t plan to speak more publicly about the incident, saying her goal with the moving essay was to “change the narrative because I am more than my trauma.”
“It’s the rebirth of a happier, healthier self.”
CNN’s Lisa Respers France and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.