Garth Brooks accused of sexual assault and battery in new lawsuit
Country music icon Garth Brooks has been accused of sexual assault and battery in a new lawsuit obtained by CNN.
According to reports, the bombshell lawsuit was filed in California on Thursday, October 3 by a âJane Roeâ who claims to have worked for the award-winning singer as a hairstylist and makeup artist.
The mystery womanâs suit details how she was employed by Brooks in 2017, but was hired to do hair and makeup for Trisha Yearwood â Brooksâ wife â in 1999.
The allegations in the suit are purported to have taken place in 2019, accusing music star Brooks, 62, of repeatedly exposing his genitals to Roe, sending explicit text messages, talking about sex and sharing sexual fantasies with Roe, and regularly changing clothes in front of her.
As per CNN, the filing also claims that Roe was raped by Brooks in May 2019 during a work tip to Los Angeles, where the singer was taping a Grammy tribute performance.
Prior to Roeâs filing, an anonymous plaintiff â now revealed to be Brooks â filed a complaint under âJohn Doeâ aiming to block Roe from repeating her allegations publicly.
In a statement to CNN after the suit was filed, Brooks said: âFor 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.â
âHush 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 â ugly acts no human should ever do to another,â the singer continued.
âWe 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.â
In his previous complaint as plaintiff John Doe â filed prior to the suit being made public â Brooks claimed that Roeâs attorney had sent him a âconfidentialâ demand letter alleging sexual misconduct after he had refused Roeâs request for âsalaried employment and medical benefits.â
âDefendantâs allegations are not true,â the singerâs complaint stated.
âDefendant is well aware, however, of the substantial, irreparable damage such false allegations would do to Plaintiffâs well-earned reputation as a decent and caring person, along with the unavoidable damage to his family and the irreparable damage to his career and livelihood that would result if she made good on her threat to âpublicly fileâ her fabricated lawsuit.â
According to the suit itself â as per CNN â Brooks and Roe traveled to Los Angeles in 2019 on Brooksâ private jet.
âUsually there were others on Brooksâ private jet but this time, Ms. Roe and Brooks were the only two passengers,â the complaint states. âOnce in Los Angeles at the hotel, Ms. Roe could not believe that Brooks had booked a hotel suite with one bedroom and she did not have a separate room.â
Once Brooks and Roe arrived at their hotel room, Roeâs suit alleges that the Friends in Low Places hitmaker âappeared in the doorway to the bedroom, completely naked.â Roeâs complaint states she felt âtrapped in the room alone with Brooks.â
Roeâs attorneys reportedly told CNN that Brooksâ âefforts to silence our client through the filing of a preemptive complaint in Mississippi was nothing other than an act of desperation and attempted intimidation.â
âWe are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions,â the attorneys continued. âWe applaud our clientâs 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.â