Garth Brooks: Country music singer accused of rape by former hair and make-up artist in lawsuit
Country singer Garth Brooks has been accused of sexual assault and battery including an incident of rape in a lawsuit by his former hair and make-up stylist.
The complaint, filed in a California state court by an anonymous accuser known as "Jane Roe", alleges the incidents occurred in 2019.
She claims in one incident, Brooks raped her at a hotel during a work trip in Los Angeles where he was taping a Grammy tribute performance.
The country star was popular in the 1990s with hits such as Friends in Low Places and The Thunder Rolls.
In a statement to CNN later on Thursday, Brooks 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.”
“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,” he added.
“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.”
Prior to Roe's filing, an anonymous celebrity plaintiff known as "John Doe", now revealed to be Brooks, filed a complaint which tried to block Roe from publicly repeating the allegations and denied the claims.
According to the lawsuit, Roe started doing hair and make-up for Brook in 2017 and was first hired to do hair and make-up for his wife, Trisha Yearwood, in 1999.
The lawsuit alleges that in 2019 Brooks asked her to travel with him by private jet to Los Angeles.
“Usually there were others on Brooks’ private jet but this time, Ms. Roe and Brooks were the only two passengers,” the complaint states.
“Once 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.”
Once they arrived at the hotel suite, Roe alleges the country singer “appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, completely naked" before he raped her.
In addition to sexual assault and battery, the lawsuit accuses Brooks of repeatedly exposing himself, talking about sex and sharing sexual fantasies with Roe; regularly changing his clothing in front of Roe; and sending sexually explicit text messages.
In his complaint as plaintiff John Doe, Brooks claimed defendant Roe’s attorney sent him a “confidential” demand letter alleging sexual misconduct after he declined Roe’s request for “salaried employment and medical benefits.”
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Roe’s attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen and Hayley Baker told CNN that Brooks’ “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 are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions,” 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."
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