Garth Brooks performs during Country Radio Seminar on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Amy Harris / Invision / AP)
A woman claiming to have worked as a hair-and-makeup stylist for Garth Brooks has filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape at a Los Angeles hotel in 2019. In the lawsuit submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court, she is identified as Jane Roe. Brooks has firmly denied the allegations, stating that he attempted to prevent the lawsuit from being filed.
The woman asserts that she began working for Trisha Yearwood, Brooks' wife, in 1999 and started collaborating with Brooks in 2017. She alleges that the assault took place during a trip from Nashville to Los Angeles for a Grammy Awards tribute to soul singer Sam Moore in October 2019. According to the lawsuit, Brooks typically traveled with a group but made arrangements for just the two of them on his private jet and booked a single hotel suite for their stay.
The woman claims that upon arrival at the hotel, Brooks appeared naked at the bedroom door and sexually assaulted her. She further alleges that after the incident, he acted as if nothing had occurred and expected her to proceed with styling his hair and makeup immediately.
The lawsuit also mentions a prior incident in 2019 when Brooks allegedly exposed himself in front of her at his home and forced her hands onto his genitals. In response to these allegations, Brooks filed a preemptive lawsuit in federal court in Mississippi last month, in which both parties remain anonymous. In that case, the plaintiff, referred to as John Doe, denies the claims, asserting they are “wholly untrue” and stating that he first learned of them in July when the woman allegedly threatened to sue him for millions unless he complied with her demands.
Brooks described the situation as harassment, stating, “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.” He emphasized that he filed the lawsuit anonymously “for the sake of families on both sides” and expressed confidence in the legal system, declaring, “I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.”
Additionally, the woman's lawsuit claims Brooks made several other sexual advances, including exposing himself on multiple occasions and discussing sexual fantasies with her, while also sending explicit text messages. She contends that financial struggles forced her to continue working for him, which he allegedly exploited.
An email to the woman's attorney regarding whether she reported the incidents to the police has not yet received a response. Brooks, now 62, is known for his immense popularity in country music, particularly in the 1990s, with hits like “Friends in Low Places.” He married Yearwood in 2005, but there has been no immediate comment from her representatives regarding the lawsuit.
