Country star Garth Brooks has been hit with a lawsuit that alleges he s*xually assaulted a makeup artist and hairstylist working for him. The plaintiff, dubbed Jane Roe in the court filings, took the case to the California Supreme Court in Los Angeles County on Thursday, October 3.
According to the lawsuit, Garth Brooks, 62, forced himself on Jane Roe during a work trip at a Los Angeles hotel in 2019, Fox News reported. The documents indicate that the plaintiff first met Brooks in 1999, when she was hired to dress up his wife, Trisha Yearwood. Only in 2017 did she begin working for Brooks.
Garth Brooks responded to the allegations in a statement to the outlet, saying:
"I want to play music tonight. I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart these wonderful things are in question now. I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be."
Garth Brooks felt like a "loaded gun" was being waved in his face
In the statement, the singer reflected on how his life has been since the allegations came to light. He said,
"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."
He continued, revealing that he had filed a counter-lawsuit against Jane Roe for defamation.
"Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of—ugly acts no human should ever do to another. We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides."
Garth Brooks concluded his statement by saying he is not afraid of what's to come, as it is going to be the truth.
Per the complaint, the two were supposed to get their own rooms during the tip. However, Jane Roe reached there only to find out that there was just one. The complaint read,
"After they arrived, suddenly Brooks appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, completely naked. He stood there and flexed his muscles. Ms. Roe immediately had a sick feeling in her stomach, knowing she was trapped in the room alone with Brooks, with no one to help and far away from Nashville."
Things then took a dire turn when the second best-selling artist of all time in the US began assaulting her. The complaint also outlines the alleged financial extortion Garth Brooks enacted on the victim.
Jane Roe's lawyers pledge to take Garth Brooks down
Jane Roe's lawyers also spoke with Fox News, lauding their client for her bravery. They said,
"We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks. 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."
They continued, pledging to bring Garth Brooks to justice.
"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. We encourage others who may have been victimized to contact us as no survivor should suffer in silence."
Jane Roe is being represented by Douglas Wigdor, the same lawyer who represented victims in the s*xual assault case against Harvey Weinstein.