Garth Brooks Accused Of Sexual Assault And Battery By Former Hair and Makeup Artist In New Lawsuit
These incidents allegedly took place in 2019.
Garth Brooks; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Garth Brooks has been accused of sexual assault and battery, according to a lawsuit obtained by CNN.
The lawsuit was filed by “Jane Roe,” who claims to be a hair and makeup artist who worked closely with Brooks.
“Roe” claims that the Oklahoma native once raped her during a work trip and accuses him of exposing himself on multiple occasions, sending her explicit text messages, and frequently changing his clothes in front of her, among other allegations.
The filing also includes accusations from alleged incidents that occurred in 2019, one at Brooks’ home where she claims he finished with a shower, walked out completely naked, and “grabbed her hands and forced them” onto his private parts. At this time, she says he spoke to her with sexually explicit language.
In a separate alleged incident in May 2019, the accuser claimed that Brooks raped her in a Los Angeles hotel room while they were in town filming a GRAMMY tribute performance. Roe stated that they traveled to the location on the singer/songwriter’s private jet.
“Usually there were others on Brooks’ private jet but this time, Ms. Roe and Brooks were the only two passengers,” the complaint reads, according to CNN. “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.”
Roe claimed to feel “trapped” in the room and alleges that he raped her during this time.
After this incident, Roe claims that Brooks would often speak to her about his sexual fantasies and would grope her.
Prior to Roe’s filing in California, CNN reported that “a celebrity and public figure who resides in Tennessee,” now revealed to be Brooks, made an attempt to get a federal court in Mississippi to deny the accuser’s claims and prevent her from further spreading the accusations. In this filing, Brooks claimed that the accuser was trying to blackmail and tarnish his reputation and said the “false allegations” would hurt his career.
“Defendant’s allegations are not true,” Brooks’ lawsuit, which was filed in mid-September, claims. “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 lawsuit states: “Brooks is desperate to prevent his millions of fans from learning about the horrific things he has said and done to a junior female employee who did nothing to deserve such treatment.”
According to the suit, “Roe” began working for Brooks in 2017 after she was originally hired to do Trisha Yearwood’s hair and makeup in 1999.
We’ve reached out to Garth Brooks’ team for a comment.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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