On Tuesday, September 23, Metro Boomin’s civil rape trial kicks off in Los Angeles after mediation attempts between both parties failed.
What are the accusations?
The producer, born Leland Tyler Wayne, is being sued for rape and sexual battery over an alleged 2016 incident involving plaintiff Vanessa LeMaistre. According to court documents obtained by Complex, LeMaistre says she was at an L.A. recording studio with Metro around September 2016 when she began grieving the loss of her nine-month-old son, who had died earlier that year in February.
She alleges Metro gave her a Xanax and a shot of alcohol to ease her anxiety, and after they spoke briefly about shared depression, she fell asleep—only to wake up and find him performing oral sex and then raping her.
Weeks later, LeMaistre claims she learned she was pregnant and ultimately terminated the pregnancy in November 2016. The following year, she said she felt ridiculed by Metro’s song “Rap Saved Me,” featuring 21 Savage, Offset, and Quavo, pointing to lyrics that read:
“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.”
When did the alleged rape happen?
According to court filings, the incident took place around September 2016, just months after Vanessa LeMaistre says she first met Metro Boomin in Las Vegas that spring and developed a friendship.
Who is the accuser?
LeMaistre is a Los Angeles-based self-help author, motivational speaker, and self-described shaman. In the years following her son’s death from a rare disease, she has led women’s healing circles and workshops.
What’s at stake if Metro is found liable?
If the jury sides with LeMaistre, Metro could be ordered to pay damages covering lost wages, emotional and mental suffering, punitive and exemplary damages, plus her attorney fees and court costs.
What has Metro said?
The producer, who dropped his commercial mixtape A Futuristic Summa on August 1, has largely stayed quiet on the matter. However, his attorney Lawrence Hinkle II has dismissed the accusations as “false” and nothing more than a “pure shakedown.”
How is the defense approaching the case?
Metro’s legal team has enlisted two expert psychologists—Dr. Elizabeth Loftus and April D. Thames—to scrutinize LeMaistre’s testimony. Dr. Loftus will examine how trauma, stress, and memory distortion may affect recollection, while Dr. Thames has raised concerns over LeMaistre’s mental health, citing PTSD and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
When and where does the trial start?
The trial opens Tuesday, September 23, at 9 a.m. at the Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles.
How long could it last?
The timeline depends on witness testimony, evidence presentation, and jury deliberations. It could wrap in just a few days—or extend for several weeks.
