Metro Boomin, the Grammy-nominated producer who has worked with everyone from Drake to Future, has been found not liable in a sexual assault case, per Rolling Stone. A Los Angeles jury was quick in their deliberation on Thursday, reaching a verdict of not guilty on all four claims of rape and sexual battery alleged by Vanessa LeMaistre.
“I’m grateful and thankful to God that I can finally put all of this nonsense behind me,” said Metro in a statement following the verdict. “Based off of how I treat others and represent myself, never in a million years would I have thought I could be accused of such a disgusting and heinous act.”
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The producer, whose real name is Leland T. Wayne, was initially sued by LeMaistre in Oct. 2024. She claimed they were first introduced on a 2016 trip to Las Vegas, where she was given a shot of alcohol and ingested half a Xanax bar that she used to cope with anxiety after her son’s death. They bonded over their depression, as Wayne had recently broken up with his girlfriend.
She then alleged that she next awoke on a bed in a different location to Wayne sexually assaulting her, and that she drifted in and out of consciousness. Some weeks after the assault, she discovered she was pregnant and got an abortion.
A year later, Wayne released the song “Rap Saved Me” with 21 Savage and Migos’ Offset and Quavo featuring the lyrics “She took a Xanny, then she fainted” and “She drive me crazy, have my baby,” which the suit claimed was “recounting the situation that happened to LeMaistre.”
Opening arguments for the trial began on Tuesday, with LeMaistre’s attorneys quickly asking for a mistrial after the defense referenced her sexual history, something that requires permission from the judge in a sexual assault case.
Following the verdict, Metro stated, “This has been a very difficult time for me and my family. From the beginning I have said these allegations were false and that I would not be a part of a shakedown. She attacked who I am as a person and how I was raised, and I could not let her get away with that. I would never do what she accused me of to anyone. I am deeply thankful to my legal team, my loved ones, the jury, and everyone who stood by me. I’m relieved that the truth came out in court.”
His attorney, Lawrence C. Hinkle II of Sanders Roberts LLP, added, “We are extremely grateful for the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence and for reaching the correct decision. The allegations against Mr. Wayne were frivolous and unequivocally false. Mr. Wayne has endured serious and damaging accusations, and today’s verdict confirms what he has always said – the plaintiff’s claims against him are completely fabricated.”
