Metro Boomin is being sued for sexual battery.
The lawsuit comes from a woman claiming that the rapper, real name Leland Tyler Wayne, raped her in 2016. She is alleging that the assault led to an unwanted and subsequently terminated pregnancy.
The woman, Vanessa LeMaistre, is formally suing Wayne for battery, sexual battery and three further violations of California’s civil codes, in a complaint filed on Tuesday (October 29) in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County.
Wayne has denied all allegations through his attorney, per Pitchfork.
In her lawsuit, LeMaistre claims that she met Wayne in 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada, shortly following the death of her infant son. Documents say that the pair “had several discussions about music and life in general,” which led to them spending more time together. “Ms. LeMaistre grew to feel safe and comfortable in Wayne’s presence and thought of him as a friend,” the suit goes on to say.
LeMaistre then highlights a specific studio visit that took place in September 2016, where she alleges she “took half a Xanax” to “help get through difficult days and numb the pain.” She goes on to claim she was given “a shot of alcohol” and lost consciousness after she drank it.
When she regained consciousness, she alleges that “she woke up on a bed with Wayne on top of her”, before losing consciousness again. She then says that she lost consciousness again, before waking up later to Wayne performing oral sex on her. LeMaistre has argued that these sex acts were non-consensual given that she was incapacitated.
The suit then says that, weeks after the alleged assault, she discovered that she was pregnant. “Given the recent loss of her son and the traumatic cause of her pregnancy, Ms. LeMaistre knew that she could not continue the pregnancy and maintain any semblance of her declining mental health,” the lawsuit reads. “As a result, Ms. LeMaistre had an abortion in November 2016.”
Wayne’s attorney, Lawrence C. Hinkle II, has called the accusations “a pure shakedown” and “false”, in a statement to Pitchfork. “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,” he said.
LeMaistre’s attorneys – Michael J. Willemin, Monica Hincken, Omar H. Bengali, and Robert J. Girard II – said a statement of their own: “Metro Boomin has built a successful career with lyrics and social media that are not only offensive but also explicitly outline his intentions to harm women. These are more than mere words, and it’s time for him to be held accountable for his manipulative tactics and unacceptable behaviour.”
Responding specifically to Hinkle’s comment that this was a “shakedown”, LeMaistre’s lawyers went on to say: “Making defamatory remarks is not going to help Metro Boomin’s cause and we look forward to proving Ms. LeMaistre’s claims in court and ultimately before a jury.”
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
