Garth Brooks Sued For Sexual Assault By His Former Makeup Artist

Garth Brooks has been accused of sexual assault and battery in a new lawsuit. According to CNN, the country superstar is being sued by a “Jane Roe” who allegedly worked as his hairstylist and makeup artist.

The complaint was filed today (Oct. 3) in California. It claims that Brooks raped her during a work trip in 2019, while also accusing him of repeatedly exposing his genitals and buttocks, talking about sex and sharing sexual fantasies with Roe, regularly changing his clothing in front of Roe, and sending sexually explicit text messages.

Roe says she started handling hair and makeup services for Brooks in 2017, but was first hired to do hair and makeup for his wife, Trisha Yearwood, in 1999. During one alleged incident in 2019, Roe was at Brooks’ home for work when he walked out of the shower naked, “grabbed her hands and forced them” onto his genitals, and spoke to her with sexually explicit and vulgar language.

In May 2019, Brooks and Roe took his private jet to Los Angeles where he was taping a Grammy tribute performance. “Usually there were others on Brooks’ private jet but this time, Ms. Roe and Brooks were the only two passengers,” the complaint claims. “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.”

Arriving at the hotel suite, Roe says Brooks “appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, completely naked,” and she felt “trapped in the room alone with Brooks.” Following the alleged rape, Brooks told her his sexual fantasies with more frequency and physically groped her. Brooks “repeated remarks” about “having a threesome” with his wife, according to the complaint.

In mid-September, Brooks anonymously filed a lawsuit in Mississippi to prevent Roe from publicizing the accusations, saying they were “false allegations” that would “irreparably harm” his reputation and career (per CNN). He also claimed that Roe’s attorney sent him a “confidential” demand letter accusing him of sexual misconduct after he denied Roe’s request for “salaried employment and medical benefits.”

“Defendant’s allegations are not true,” his lawsuit stated. “Defendant is well aware, however, of the substantial, irreparable damage such false allegations would do to Plaintiff’s 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 ‘publicly file’ her fabricated lawsuit.”

Roe’s attorneys 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.”

Attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen, and Hayley Baker shared a statement to CNN:

We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions. 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.

UPDATE: Brooks has shared a statement with People. Read it below.

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. It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face.

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. 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.

I want to play music tonight. I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart these wonderful things are in question now. I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.

If you or someone you know is undergoing sexual abuse, please visit rainn.org or contact the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-800-656-4673.