Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at Entertainment Weekly. He began writing for EW in 2022.
Hip-hop producer Metro Boomin has been cleared of a sexual assault claim in a civil trial in Los Angeles.
On Thursday an eight-person jury found that the musician, whose real name is Leland Wayne, was not liable for the alleged sexual assault of plaintiff Vanessa LeMaistre, who claimed that Wayne drugged and raped her in a 2016 incident, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy.
Wayne, 32, told Rolling Stone outside the courthouse that he was “blessed” and “relieved,” adding, “I never thought I would ever have to do anything like that. I’m just relieved. It’s a burden lifted off my back.”
LeMaistre’s attorney Michael J. Willemin said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly, “Though the legal system is often stacked against survivors, our client showed unwavering fortitude throughout this trial. We are disappointed in the outcome but are proud to represent Ms. LeMaistre and believe that the verdict will ultimately be overturned on appeal.”
EW has reached out to Wayne’s attorneys for further comment.
LeMaistre filed her complaint in October 2024, alleging that she met Wayne in February 2016 and bonded with him over their mutual depression: She had just lost her 9-year-old son to a rare disease, and he had recently been through a breakup. The plaintiff claimed that she took a shot of alcohol and a Xanax at Wayne’s recording studio.
“The next thing Ms. LeMaistre can recall is waking up on a bed in a different location with Wayne raping her and being completely unable to move or make a sound,” the complaint alleged. “She was in and out of consciousness for an unknown amount of time but awoke again at some point to Wayne performing oral sex on her.”
The plaintiff also claimed that she became pregnant a few weeks after the incident (ultimately terminating the pregnancy), and concluded that Wayne was responsible since she had not had sex with anyone else during that period.
LeMaistre sought a money judgment for “mental pain and anguish and severe emotional distress.”
When LeMaistre filed her complaint, Wayne’s attorney Lawrence Hinkle II denied the allegations in a statement to EW.
“This is a pure shakedown,” he said at the time. “These are false accusations. Mr. Wayne refused to pay [Ms. LeMaistre] months ago, and he refuses to pay her now. Mr. Wayne will defend himself in court. He will file a claim for malicious prosecution once he prevails.”
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Wayne is best known for producing songs for artists including Future, the Weeknd, Migos, 21 Savage, Post Malone, and Drake. He has released two solo albums, Not All Heroes Wear Capes and Heroes & Villains, as well as the collaborative albums We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You. He also oversaw the soundtrack for the 2023 film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
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