Award-winning music producer Metro Boomin released a statement following the verdict of a civil sexual assault case he’s been fighting since October 2024.
According to Rolling Stone, Vanessa LeMaistre, who alleged that Metro Boomin, born Leland T. Wayne, raped her nine years ago after she passed out from taking drugs, filed a lawsuit last fall. On Thursday, after a brief one-hour deliberation, the jury reached its decision regarding his role in an alleged rape, finding him not liable on four allegations.
How did Metro Boomin respond after a judge found him ‘not liable’ in sexual assault case?
LeMaistre asserted she lost consciousness after taking Xanax and drinking alcohol that Metro Boomin provided in Los Angeles in 2016 when they were hanging out. She recalled waking up later in an unfamiliar room at a Southern California hotel in 2016, slipping in and out of awareness as she realized he was having sex with her. Metro Boomin denied the accusations, stating that any sexual intercourse was consensual.
Metro Boomin posted an Instagram statement after hearing the verdict: “I’m grateful and thankful to God that I can put all of this nonsense behind me,” he said. “Based off how I treat others and represent myself, never in a million years wold I have thought I could be accused of such a disgusting and heinous act. Today I took a victory in court but in reality there is a long list of losses stacked up in this year long process of clearing my name and reputation. The very large amount of money and time wasted based off of someone else’s greed, coupled with the incalculable amount of money and opportunities that did not make it to me or my team during this time.”
He added, “‘Metro Boomin’ is more than a stage name or family friendly brand but a superhero in the eyes of many children and adults around the world. I’m sure I don’t have to put into any more words on how devastating these false claims must have been to many.”
The 32-year-old also noted that his family’s emotional and mental well-being was negatively impacted.
“Lastly the trauma my family and I have endured during this dark period can never be forgiven. I legally adopted my youngest brother and sister and am active in their lives and at their schools so just imagine what they have been through in a time where almost any kid from the age 9 and up has access to a smart phone or tablet,” he shared.”I’m disappointed in not only the plaintiff but the janky lawyers who made the conscious decision to take on this suit, even though it was evident long ago that these claims had no legs or merit and would not end up going anywhere.”
Metro Boomin concluded by thanking his legal team and showing love to women and men who have been “actual victims” of sexual assault.
The woman who accused Metro Boomin of rape will pursue a mistrial
Justin H. Sanders, one of Metro Boomin’s lawyers, mentioned that the accusations stemmed from a drug-fueled moment.
“This whole lawsuit was born out of a drug den in Peru. In the jungle,” Sanders called out in his closing argument, according to Rolling Stone. “This case is preposterous.”
There were a total of eight jurors — five men and three women. One of the male jurors told Rolling Stone that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict Metro Boomin.
“The evidence wasn’t there,” the unidentified juror said. “A lot of it was just testimony or talking about it. There was no substantial ‘This is what happened.’ There were no dates recollected correctly.… She didn’t remember a lot. That was also the issue.”
LeMaistre has released her own statement, but Michael J. Willemin, the attorney in charge of the case, shared that they intended to pursue a mistrial “based on various errors and the admission of certain evidence and the exclusion of certain evidence.”
“We’ll be pursuing both of those motions for a mistrial and eventually an appeal. This is far from the end of this case,” Willemin said, per Rolling Stone.