Country music superstar Garth Brooks has been charged with sexual assault and battery in a lawsuit filed in California state court.
The accuser, using the pseudonym “Jane Roe,” was working as a hair and makeup stylist for the Grammy-winning singer when he raped her, the lawsuit states.
The woman’s lawsuit alleges that he also repeatedly groped her and made sexually explicit comments to her during her employment from 2017-20.
In a statement to the BBC, Mr Brooks said the woman’s lawsuit amounted to “blackmail and defamation”.
In May 2019, the accuser alleged that Mr. Brooks asked her to travel with him on his private plane to a Grammy Awards tribute in Los Angeles.
According to the legal action, when they arrived at the hotel, Mr. Brooks only booked a single one-bedroom apartment for the two of them to share.
Her lawsuit alleges that once inside the hotel room, Mr. Brooks appeared naked in the bedroom doorway before raping her.
After the alleged assault, she said Mr. Brooks continued to make sexual advances on other occasions, forcing her to place her hands on his genitals and sharing his fantasies , the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also alleges that Mr. Brooks proposed to Jane Roe that they had a threesome with his wife, fellow country star Trisha Yearwood. The BBC has contacted Ms Yearwood for comment.
In his statement to the BBC, Mr Brooks said: “Over the past two months I have been troubled non-stop with threats, lies and tragic stories about my future if I don’t write a check to millions of people.” dollars. It was like there was a loaded gun pointed at my face.
“Silent money, no matter how much or how little, is still silent money. In my mind, that meant I was admitting to behavior that I was incapable of committing—evil actions that no human being should do to another human being.”
He added: “I want to play music tonight. I want to continue our good deeds in the future. My heart is broken. These great things are now in doubt. I believe in system, I’m not afraid of the truth and I’m not the man they made me out to be.”
Litigation over the matter began three weeks ago with an anonymous lawsuit filed in Mississippi federal court by someone described as “a celebrity and public figure residing in Tennessee”. This is Mr. Brooks.
Mr. Brooks said that Jane Roe made the allegations after he denied her requests for paid employment and medical benefits.
His pre-emptive legal action strongly denies her allegations, calling them “abhorrent and untrue”.
Mr. Brooks’ lawsuit also said the allegations were a threat to cause “substantial, irreparable damage” to his reputation, family and career.
On Thursday, Jane Roe’s attorneys filed a 27-page lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court.
In addition to sexual assault and battery, her lawsuit also accuses Mr. Brooks of repeatedly exposing himself, making sexually explicit comments and sending inappropriate text messages.
Garth Brooks is a household name far beyond the country music genre.
Jane Roe’s lawsuit says he is a two-time Grammy winner who has sold more than 162 million albums and is worth around $400 million (£305 million).
He is known for his commitment to charity work, especially supporting organizations that benefit children and provide local relief after natural disasters.
