Trigger Warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual abuse, rape and explicit content that may be distressing to some readers.
A makeup artist has filed a lawsuit against country music star Garth Brooks, accusing him of raping her in a hotel room and subjecting her to other unwanted sexual advances. These allegations include sending her explicit text messages and inappropriately touching her. The woman, referred to as Jane Roe in the lawsuit, also claims Brooks exposed himself to her on multiple occasions. She says the trauma caused by the alleged rape was so severe that she considered taking her life.
“Brooks is desperate to keep his millions of fans from discovering the horrific things he has done to a female employee who did nothing to deserve such treatment,” the lawsuit said, reports Variety. The complaint also mentions that Brooks filed a preemptive lawsuit last month against the woman in Mississippi federal court.
In this earlier lawsuit, the plaintiff — who remains anonymous — alleges that the woman threatened to tarnish his reputation by filing a sexual abuse claim unless he paid her a large sum of money. The federal lawsuit, filed under the pseudonym John Doe, accuses the woman of attempted extortion, defamation and emotional distress.
“Defendant’s allegations are false,” the complaint said. “Her public accusations were made with malice, ill intent and for the improper purpose of extorting money from Plaintiff.”
The federal suit seeks to stop the woman from continuing what they describe as “extortionate conduct,” along with compensation for damages.
The woman is represented by attorney Douglas Wigdor, who has handled multiple high-profile cases, including many #MeToo lawsuits against Harvey Weinstein and other powerful figures.
“We admire our client’s bravery in coming forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks,” Wigdor and his colleagues Jeanne Christensen and Hayley Baker said in a statement. “This case shows that sexual predators aren’t only found in corporate America, Hollywood, or the rap and rock scenes but also country music. We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions, and that his attempt to silence our client through a preemptive lawsuit in Mississippi was nothing but desperation and intimidation,” they reportedly added.
According to Variety, the makeup artist began working for Brooks’ wife, Trisha Yearwood, as a hairstylist in 1999. She claims that she started working with Brooks himself in 2017 and became more involved in 2019 as she faced financial challenges.
In her lawsuit, she alleges that while at Brooks’ home, he emerged from the shower naked with an erection and forced her to touch his genitalia while pressuring her to perform oral sex. She claims she refused but continued working for him. In May 2019, Brooks allegedly travelled to Los Angeles for a Grammy tribute and booked a hotel where both he and the woman stayed. She claims that during this trip, Brooks violently raped her in his hotel room.
The makeup artist also accuses Brooks of regularly discussing sexual fantasies in front of her, sending inappropriate text messages and staring at her chest. She alleges that he would pressure her to unbutton her shirt so he could grope her and masturbate.
She filed the lawsuit in a Los Angeles state court, citing California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act.
As per the latest update shared by Variety, Brooks’ full statement, released later that day, denies the accusations, claiming the plaintiff demanded “millions of dollars” in “hush money.”
Brooks’ full statement says, “For two months, I have faced constant threats, lies, and distressing claims about my future if I didn’t agree to a multimillion-dollar payout. It has felt like having a gun pointed at my head. Paying hush money, no matter the amount feels like admitting to actions I would never commit — actions that are unthinkable and inhumane. I am not the man they have painted me to be.”
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