
Rapper Lil Xan pleads not guilty to charges stemming from incident at Boston show
Nicholas Diego Leanos is facing two charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Rapper Lil Xan pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Monday on assault and battery charges stemming from an incident at a November show in Boston.
The rapper, whose real name is Nicholas Diego Leanos, pleaded not guilty in Boston Municipal Court to two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He was released on personal recognizance on the conditions that he stay away from the venue where the incident took place and have no contact and stay away from the victim.
Leanos was headlining a Harvard v. Yale pre-game party at the Royale Nightclub on Nov. 22 when he allegedly kicked a Harvard student in the face and hit him with a microphone. Leanos also allegedly assaulted another person and a security officer before leaving the venue, according to the Boston police report on the incident.
An apparent video of the incident shows the performer appearing to reach down from the stage and punch a man in the face, then throwing his microphone at him and kicking him in the face.
In an Instagram post following the incident, Leanos alleged the victim was attempting to touch his genitals.
“Am I proud of how I acted or handled the situation hell no, I feel terrible about it, I’m a human just like you, and I will be doing some heavy reflecting after this,” he wrote.
On Monday, Leanos posted photos from his appearance in Boston for court, thanking his attorney, Fernando Figueroa.
“Only here for a short time but I love you Boston!!” he wrote.
Figueroa declined a request for comment from Boston.com on Tuesday evening.
A pre-trial hearing in the case is scheduled for May 2.
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