Garth Brooks lawsuit/ Garth Brooks rape accusation/ Jane Roe vs Garth Brooks/ sexual misconduct lawsuit/ Garth Brooks denies rape claims/ Newslooks/ LOS ANGELES/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A hair-and-makeup artist has filed a lawsuit accusing country music star Garth Brooks of raping her in 2019. The woman, using the name Jane Roe in court documents, alleges the assault took place in a Los Angeles hotel. Brooks has denied the accusations and filed a preemptive lawsuit claiming extortion.
Garth Brooks Lawsuit Quick Looks
- Allegations: A former stylist has accused Garth Brooks of raping her in a 2019 incident in Los Angeles.
- Brooks’ denial: Brooks strongly denied the claims, filing a preemptive lawsuit accusing the woman of extortion.
- Past incidents: The lawsuit also alleges Brooks exposed himself to the stylist and sent inappropriate messages.
- Legal response: Brooks filed his lawsuit anonymously to protect both families involved.
Garth Brooks Faces Rape Lawsuit From Hair-and-Makeup Artist
Deep Look
Country music legend Garth Brooks is facing serious allegations after a hair-and-makeup stylist filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing him of raping her in a hotel room in 2019. The woman, who filed under the pseudonym Jane Roe, claims the assault occurred while she was working for Brooks during a Grammy Awards tribute performance. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, adds to a growing legal battle as Brooks has denied the accusations, even filing his own lawsuit in Mississippi last month.
According to the lawsuit, the woman had been employed by Brooks’ wife, country singer Trisha Yearwood, since 1999 and began working for Brooks in 2017. The allegations stem from an October 2019 trip where Brooks was performing alongside soul singer Sam Moore for a Grammy Awards tribute. The stylist alleges that while traveling with Brooks from Nashville to Los Angeles on his private jet, he booked a single hotel suite for both of them. She claims that while in the hotel, Brooks appeared naked in the doorway of the bedroom and then raped her.
The suit further alleges that Brooks continued as if nothing had happened, expecting her to immediately continue her duties as his stylist. This was not the first instance of alleged inappropriate behavior, according to the lawsuit. Earlier that year, the woman claims Brooks exposed himself to her at his home, placed her hands on his genitals, and continued to make sexual advances during their professional relationship.
Brooks, who is 62 years old and one of the most successful country music stars of all time, has vehemently denied these claims. In a statement, Brooks said that he had been aware of the allegations since July when the woman allegedly threatened to go public unless he paid her millions of dollars. In response, Brooks filed an anonymous preemptive lawsuit in federal court in Mississippi, where he and the accuser are both listed as John Doe and Jane Roe, respectively.
In his legal filing, Brooks described the accusations as “wholly untrue” and claimed that the woman’s threats amounted to extortion. He requested a judge to intervene to stop the woman from causing “intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy.”
In his public statement, Brooks expressed frustration over the ongoing legal battle, saying, “For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars. It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face.”
Brooks defended his decision to file the preemptive lawsuit anonymously, stating that it was “for the sake of families on both sides.” He ended his statement with a firm denial, saying, “I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.”
The lawsuit also accuses Brooks of sending explicit text messages to the woman and frequently discussing sexual fantasies with her. The woman alleges that she was forced to continue working for Brooks despite these repeated incidents because of financial hardship, which Brooks was allegedly aware of and used to his advantage.
As of now, there is no confirmation of whether the woman reported the alleged incidents to law enforcement. A request for comment from her attorney on this matter went unanswered. Additionally, Brooks’ wife, Trisha Yearwood, has not publicly commented on the allegations, and her representatives did not respond to media inquiries regarding the lawsuit.
Brooks, a country music icon known for his crossover appeal and massive success in the 1990s, has a long-standing career filled with chart-topping hits such as “Friends in Low Places” and “The Thunder Rolls.” He is known for bringing arena-sized theatrics to his concerts and expanding the reach of country music into mainstream audiences. Brooks married Yearwood, also a celebrated country artist, in 2005.
As the legal battle unfolds, Brooks maintains his innocence and insists that the lawsuit is based on false claims aimed at extorting money from him. For now, both sides are gearing up for what could be a lengthy court process.
