Metro Boomin has been sued for alleged sexual assault. Vanessa LeMaistre, a 38-year-old woman, filed a lawsuit in the state of California yesterday (October 29) against the producer born Leland Wayne, claiming that he raped her when she visited his studio in 2016. A few weeks later, LeMaistre discovered she was pregnant.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
Court documents obtained by TMZ lay out the events that allegedly transpired after LeMaistre met Wayne in Las Vegas, NV, in the spring of 2016 — after her nine-month-old son, Kamden, had died from a rare disease.
"When Wayne invited Ms. LeMaistre to visit him at recording studios in California, where she lived, she was happy for the opportunity to watch him work because she was passionate about music, but more importantly because music provided an escape from the pain she was in after losing her son," the filing reads. "Devastatingly, however, meeting Wayne resulted in Ms. LeMaistre suffering from the second worst thing that ever happened to her — being raped by someone who pretended to be her friend for months."
Over the course of their friendship, LeMaistre claimed to have visited Wayne's studio several times, with the alleged assault having taken place during one of those visits in September 2016. According to the lawsuit, upon this occasion, the plaintiff was "immediately given a shot of alcohol." LeMaistre had also ingested half of a Xanax bar, which she had been using to cope with her anxiety after the loss of her son. Wayne, meanwhile, was upset about a "recent breakup or trial separation from his long-term girlfriend."
LeMaistre woke up later, "completely unable to move or make a sound," as Wayne allegedly raped her. A few weeks later, she discovered she was pregnant, and elected to terminate the pregnancy due to her "declining mental health."
The lawsuit also pointed to lyrics from "Rap Saved Me," a 2017 song released by 21 Savage, Offset and Metro Boomin, which includes the lyrics: "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."
In a statement issued to TMZ, the producer's lawyer, Lawrence Hinkle II of Sanders Robers LLP, denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit "a pure shakedown." He wrote, "Mr. Wayne refused to pay her 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."