Prison Warden Fires Back at Tory Lanez’s $100M Stabbing Lawsuit, Denies Wrongdoing
Written by Kiss Media on 19 October 2026
The legal battle between Tory Lanez and the California prison system just took another sharp turn.
According to an exclusive report from TMZ published Monday morning, the prison warden named in Tory’s $100 million lawsuit has officially filed his response — and he’s denying any wrongdoing whatsoever.
California Correctional Institution Warden Thomas Valdez filed the court documents on Monday, October 19, answering the federal lawsuit Tory filed back in April. In his response, Valdez denied that Tory was harmed by anything he did or failed to do — though he did acknowledge the rapper was definitely stabbed with a makeshift weapon while housed in the same facility as his attacker, fellow inmate Santino Casio.
Valdez’s argument goes further: he claims Tory “consented to his prison housing classification and assignment and assumed any risk” that came with it, and he’s invoking qualified immunity as a shield against liability.
Tory filed his complaint on April 14 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, accusing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, several correctional officers, and the warden of failing to protect him, negligent supervision, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violating his privacy rights, and conversion.
The lawsuit stems from the brutal May 2025 attack in which Tory was stabbed multiple times by Casio, who is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. Tory’s complaint points to Casio’s violent history — including a 2008 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and a 2018 charge for manufacturing a weapon while incarcerated — and questions why the two were housed in the same unit. He also asks why correctional officers weren’t present during the attack and why the response was allegedly delayed, allowing the stabbing to continue.
Tory’s injuries were severe: wounds to his back, torso, the back of his head, and face, plus two collapsed lungs. He was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition and later transferred to the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County.
He’s seeking a jury trial and $100 million in damages to cover medical bills, physical pain and suffering, emotional trauma, permanent scarring to his face, lasting lung damage, and the loss of future earning potential.
Remarkably, Tory has kept his career moving from behind bars — he’s hosted prison-era listening parties, including a massive New York City event and a Los Angeles edition this past weekend featuring Blueface, Chrisean Rock, Tyga, and more. Listen to his latest official video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXOY4P0VcjE
What do you think — should the prison be on the hook, or is the warden right? Sound off in the comments, and remember the request line is always open at +1 302-357-9831.
Source: TMZ, XXL, and HotNewHipHop
