Country music superstar Garth Brooks has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and battery in a lawsuit filed in California state court. The accuser, using the pseudonym "Jane Roe," was working as a hairstylist and makeup artist for Brooks when he allegedly raped her, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states that Brooks repeatedly groped Jane Roe and made sexually explicit comments to her during her employment from 2017 to 2020. In May 2019, Brooks allegedly asked Jane Roe to travel with him on his private jet to a Grammy tribute in Los Angeles. When they arrived at the hotel, Brooks had only booked a single suite with one bedroom for them to share, according to the lawsuit.
Once inside the hotel suite, Brooks allegedly appeared naked in the doorway of the bedroom and raped Jane Roe, the lawsuit states. After the alleged attack, Brooks continued to make sexual advances on other occasions, forcing Jane Roe to put her hands on his genitals and sharing his fantasies, the lawsuit alleges.
Brooks has denied the allegations, calling them "extortion and defamation." In a statement, he said that he had 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."
Brooks' lawsuit also alleges that Jane Roe had levelled the accusation after he refused her request for salaried employment and medical benefits. However, Jane Roe's lawyers say that Brooks' denial of the allegations is "revulsive and untrue."
The lawsuit accuses Brooks of repeatedly exposing himself, making sexually explicit comments, and sending inappropriate text messages. Brooks is a two-time Grammy winner who has sold over 162 million albums and is worth an estimated $400 million.
This is not the first time that Brooks has been accused of sexual misconduct. In 2019, he was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee, but he denied the allegations.
The lawsuit against Brooks is the latest in a string of high-profile sexual misconduct cases in the entertainment industry. It comes as the #MeToo movement continues to bring attention to the issue of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
