A hairstylist accused Garth Brooks of Sexual assault during a tour. Now the star is embroiled in a court case by both parties suing one another. Brooks claims the allegations are false. He identified his accuser and now faces backlash.
Brooks Files Lawsuit, Denies Allegations
On October 8, country music icon Garth Brooks filed a complaint in the District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi Northern Division, seeking compensatory and punitive damages from a sexual assault accuser. The singer denied the allegations and is seeking reparations to his sullied name.
A former hairstylist claims Brooks raped her in 2019 in a hotel room while on a tour with the country star. The incident supposedly occurred in Los Angeles. She worked for Brooks for over 15 years.
Garth Brooks Calls Rape Lawsuit a Extortion and Defamation | Click to read more đ https://t.co/SraDVnaIaQ
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 4, 2024
Allegations and Counter-Claims
The accuser’s lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks unspecified damages for alleged rape, battery, and other assaults from 2019. She claims Brooks exposed himself, made her feel trapped, and frequently discussed sexual acts and sent explicit messages.
“We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks,” the woman’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, told CBS. “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
Brooks states that the hairstylist attempted to blackmail him for millions of dollars to keep her allegations a secret. He seeks a declaratory judgment that the allegations are false and unspecified damages exceeding $75,000 for emotional distress and defamation.
A stylist said Garth Brooks sexually assaulted her.
Brooks said the lawsuit comes after an extortion attempt and the allegations are âbehavior I am incapable of.â https://t.co/ss19cBPqGa
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 4, 2024
Legal Strategy and Public Response
Brooks initially sought to keep both parties’ identities anonymous but claims the accuser’s attorney revealed his identity to CNN. This led Brooks to refile the complaint using both his and the accuser’s real names, a move that has sparked controversy.
“Garth Brooks just revealed his true self. Out of spite and to punish, he publicly named a rape victim. With no legal justification, Brooks outed her because he thinks the laws don’t apply to him. On behalf of our client, we will be moving for maximum sanctions against him immediately,” Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen, and Hayley Baker said.
According to Brooks, the entire case could go on for a couple of years. He made the statement during an interview on Facebook Live. “This thing is on, it’s gonna happen,” Brooks said. “People are telling me it could be up to two years. So my suggestion is, we all take a deep breath, just kinda settle in and let’s hold hands and take a trip together, because it is something that we cannot talk about. That’s all we can say about it.”
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