Metro Boomin Faces Lawsuit from Woman Alleging Sexual Assault and Pregnancy
Metro Boomin, a well-known producer nominated for a Grammy, is being sued for allegations of sexual assault.
The lawsuit claims that in 2016, the producer, whose real name is Leland Wayne, drugged and raped a woman, leading to her pregnancy.
The woman, identified as Vanessa LeMaistre, stated that during a studio session, she consumed half a Xanax pill and was given a shot of alcohol by Wayne. Following this, she lost consciousness and later woke up to find Wayne assaulting her in a hotel room, according to the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, details of which were made public on Wednesday by YSL News.
According to the lawsuit, “Weeks after the attack, Ms. LeMaistre discovered she was pregnant.” She indicated she had not been intimate with anyone else, which led her to conclude that the pregnancy was due to the assault by Wayne.
Wayne’s attorney, Lawrence Hinkle II, labeled LeMaistre’s allegations as a “pure shakedown” in a statement released on Wednesday.
“These are untrue claims,” Hinkle stated. “Mr. Wayne did not pay her months ago and refuses to pay her now. He intends to defend himself in court and plans to file a claim for malicious prosecution once he wins.”
LeMaistre’s legal team at Wigdor LLP, based in New York, responded: “Making defamatory comments won’t assist Metro Boomin’s case, and we are eager to demonstrate the truth of Ms. LeMaistre’s claims in court before a jury.”
The producer received Grammy nominations for his contributions to Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” in 2023, and for non-classical producer of the year and best rap album for “Heroes and Villains” in 2024. He also worked on the soundtrack for Marvel’s animated film “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” released in 2023.
According to the lawsuit, LeMaistre met Wayne during a visit to Las Vegas through a mutual friend and developed a friendship while discussing their shared experiences of loss, including her sorrow over the recent death of her son from a rare illness.
Back in Los Angeles, where LeMaistre resides, another mutual friend invited her again to the studio with Wayne, leading to multiple sessions together. She states she felt comfortable around Wayne initially, but his alleged substance use and unpredictable behavior shattered that sense of security.
During the incident in September 2016, LeMaistre took the Xanax to “numb” her emotional pain. After talking to Wayne about their mutual feelings of depression, she sat down on a couch to watch him work. It was during this moment that she consumed the shot of alcohol and subsequently lost consciousness.
She regained consciousness in a hotel room, allegedly finding Wayne on top of her, unable to move or talk because of her incapacitation, as per the lawsuit. She claims she blacked out again, waking up to find Wayne performing oral sex on her. A short time later, she woke again several hours later, and Wayne instructed her to gather her belongings.
The lawsuit states, “Ms. LeMaistre, confused, traumatized, and overwhelmed by fleeting memories, was desperate to leave the room.” After collecting her things, Wayne escorted her to two black SUVs parked outside, where he got into one and she got into the other, which took her back to her car at the studio.
When she discovered she was pregnant, LeMaistre opted for an abortion due to the traumatic circumstances surrounding her pregnancy and the recent loss of her son, as noted in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also highlights a song produced by Metro Boomin in 2017 titled “Rap Saved Me,” featuring lyrics by 21 Savage and Quavo that, according to LeMaistre’s attorneys, allude to the alleged incident: “She took a Xanny, then she fainted / I’m from the gutter, ain’t no changing / From the gutter, rap saved me / She drive me crazy, have my baby.”
Metro Boomin has collaborated frequently with artists such as Future, 21 Savage, Young Thug, and Big Sean, and has been significantly involved in the feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. His album with Future included an early diss towards Drake on the song “Like That,” and he released a beat titled “BBL Drizzy,” implying Drake had undergone cosmetic surgery.