Metro Boomin has been found not liable on all charges in his civil sexual assault trial, with a Los Angeles jury delivering a unanimous verdict after just one hour of deliberation on Thursday.
The influential hip-hop producer, born Leland T. Wayne, faced allegations from plaintiff Vanessa LeMaistre, who claimed he raped her at a Southern California hotel in 2016. The jury of five men and three women found that LeMaistre had failed to prove her claims against the Atlanta-based producer.
“I’m blessed. I’m relieved,” Wayne told Rolling Stone outside the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. “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 had alleged in her October lawsuit that she “blacked out” after consuming Xanax and alcohol provided by Wayne during a recording studio session. She claimed to have later awakened in an unfamiliar hotel room while drifting in and out of consciousness as Wayne allegedly assaulted her.
Wayne vehemently denied the allegations during his testimony, stating there was “no way in the world” he assaulted LeMaistre. The producer maintained that their sexual encounter was consensual and testified that he first learned of the accusations when the lawsuit was filed nine years later.
The trial took an unusual turn when jurors examined handwritten notes LeMaistre created during a 2024 Ayahuasca ceremony in Peru. The notes, titled “Plan Ayahuasca Gave Me,” outlined her intention to “blow the whistle on Metro Boomin” and detailed her plan to seek between “$3.4 million to $3.7 million” in damages.
Defence attorney Justin H. Sanders described the case as “preposterous,” arguing that “this whole lawsuit was born out of a drug den in Peru. In the jungle.” He emphasised that LeMaistre was the only witness called for her case and questioned why no therapists or other supporting witnesses testified.
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LeMaistre’s legal team plans to pursue mistrial motions based on alleged evidentiary errors during the trial. Her lead lawyer, Michael J. Willemin, stated: “This is far from the end of this case.”
Young Thug attended the trial to support Metro Boomin, telling Rolling Stone: “I’m just here to support him. He’s a longtime friend.” Wayne expressed gratitude for the show of solidarity, noting: “It meant a lot. He’s a close friend of mine. He’s my brother. I was there for his trial, he was there for mine.”
A male juror explained the verdict’s reasoning: “The evidence wasn’t there. 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.”
