A makeup artist sued Garth Brooks on Thursday, alleging that the country star raped her in a hotel room, and subjected to her to unwanted sexual conduct on other occasions, including sending her lewd text messages and groping her breasts.
The woman, identified as Jane Roe in the lawsuit, also accused Brooks of exposing himself to her on multiple occasions. She alleges that the trauma from the rape was so severe that she contemplated suicide.
“Brooks is desperate to prevent his millions of fans from learning about the horrific things he has said and done to a junior female employee who did nothing to deserve such treatment,” the lawsuit states.
According to the complaint, Brooks filed a preemptive lawsuit last month against the woman in federal court in Mississippi.
The plaintiff in that suit alleges that the woman threatened to ruin his reputation by filing a sexual abuse lawsuit unless he gave her a multimillion dollar payout.
The federal suit was filed anonymously, describing the plaintiff only as a “celebrity and public figure who resides in Tennessee.” The plaintiff, John Doe, states claims of attempted extortion, defamation and infliction of emotional distress.
“Defendant’s allegations are not true,” the complaint states. “Defendant’s publication of these false allegations was not privileged but was made with malice, ill will, and for the improper purpose of extorting an unwarranted payment from Plaintiff.”
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 13, seeks an injunction blocking her from continuing her “extortionate conduct,” as well as compensatory damages.
The woman is represented by Douglas Wigdor, who has filed numerous #MeToo lawsuits against Harvey Weinstein and other powerful figures.
“We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks,” Wigdor and his co-counsels, Jeanne Christensen and Hayley Baker, said in a statement. “The complaint filed today demonstrates that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood and in the rap and rock and roll industries but also in the world of country music. We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions and his efforts to silence our client through the filing of a preemptive complaint in Mississippi was nothing other than an act of desperation and attempted intimidation.”
The woman states that she began working for Trisha Yearwood, Brooks’ wife, as a makeup artist and hair stylist in 1999. She alleges that she started to work for Brooks in 2017, and did so more often in 2019, when she was experiencing financial difficulties.
The suit alleges that she was at Brooks’ home, when he emerged from the shower naked with an erection. She alleges that Brooks forced her to touch his penis, and urged her to perform oral sex. She refused, but continued to work for him.
In May 2019, she alleges that Brooks traveled to Los Angeles for a Grammy tribute, and booked a hotel where they would both stay. She alleges that Brooks violently raped her in the hotel room.
Afterward, she alleges that Brooks would often discuss sexual fantasies in front of her, would send her lascivious text messages, and would stare at her breasts. She alleges that he would pressure her to open her shirt, so that he could grope her breasts and then masturbate.
The woman filed the suit in Los Angeles state court, under the state Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act.
From Variety US