Country music icon Garth Brooks is facing allegations of rape and sexual misconduct in a lawsuit brought forth by his former hair and makeup artist.
The plaintiff, who remains unidentified in the legal documents and is referred to as Jane Roe, asserts that the alleged assault took place during her journey from Nashville to Los Angeles with the artist, who was performing at the Grammy Awards in 2019.
This lawsuit, lodged in the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, asserts that although Brooks typically travels with a crew, both he and Roe flew to the event alone on his private aircraft. The suit claims that only one hotel suite was reserved for them both during their stay.
The woman contends that within the suite, Brooks appeared naked in the bedroom doorway and sexually assaulted her.
So far, representatives for Brooks have declined to provide any comments regarding the situation.
The lawsuit further asserts that following the incident, Brooks acted as if nothing had occurred and anticipated her to continue with her duties of hair and makeup immediately.
The plaintiff additionally claims that earlier in the same year, during a visit to Brooks’ residence, he had exposed himself in front of her, seized her hands, and positioned them on his genitals.
In a move addressing the allegations, Brooks initiated a separate federal lawsuit last month in Mississippi, where both parties remained anonymous, as cited in Thursday’s lawsuit.
Within the court documents of that case, the complainant, identified as John Doe, stated that the allegations were “completely false,” asserting he learned of these claims in July when she threatened to sue him publicly unless he consented to pay her millions.
He requested a judge’s intervention to prevent the woman from “intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation and false light invasion of privacy.”
Since July, he claimed to have been “relentlessly pursued with threats, fabrications, and tragic narratives about what his future would entail if he did not write a check for several millions of dollars.”
He described the experience as “akin to having a loaded weapon pointed at me.”
Jane Roe’s lawsuit alleges that in addition to the two aforementioned incidents, Brooks had previously exposed himself to her on numerous other occasions, discussed sexual fantasies, and sent her explicit messages.
The plaintiff asserts that financial difficulties coerced her into continuing her work for him, a situation he was aware of and exploited.
The unnamed accuser reportedly began her tenure working for Brooks’ spouse, fellow country musician Trisha Yearwood, in 1999.
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Brooks, 62, hailing from Oklahoma, was the leading figure in country music during the 1990s, renowned for songs such as Friends In Low Places and The Thunder Rolls.
He continues to hold the title of the top-selling solo artist in the history of the US, boasting 20 Billboard number one singles and 157 million album sales, as stated on his official website.
In March of this year, he completed a residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
He wedded fellow country music star Yearwood in 2005.