Garth Brooks’ Iconic ‘Friends In Low Places’ Pulled From Ireland’s ‘The Late Late Show’ Country Music Special Following Recent Allegations

It’s no secret that Garth Brooks has a massively supportive fanbase across Ireland. However in lieu of the recent allegations of sexual assault and battery that have been made against the country singer, Ireland’s longest running live talk show, The Late Late Show, made the call to leave his iconic hit, “Friends In Low Places” out of this year’s country music special. 

This annual special, which aired on Oct. 4, aims to pay tribute to some of the biggest names in the Irish country music scene by welcoming some of Ireland’s top singers to perform covers of beloved country music hits. 

Hosted by Patrick Kielty, Friday night’s event featured something for country music fans of all ages, including renditions of classics and newest hits like Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing At All,” Dasha’s “Austin,” Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5”, a tribute to the late Kris Kristofferson and more. A rendition of “Friends In Low Places” was also originally scheduled to be recorded on Thursday, Oct. 3, the same day that news of the lawsuit against Brooks dropped.

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Even though Brooks has denied the recent claims, the producers of The Late Late Show made the executive decision to play it safe and cut the song just before the pre-recording took place. 

According to The Irish Independent, a spokesperson for RTE (an Irish broadcaster) shared the following statement:

“The Late Late country music special was pre-recorded on Thursday. There was uncertainty about the specifics of an emerging news story prior to recording of the song. Through an abundance of caution, a decision was made to make an editorial change. No song was cut from the show. No Garth Brooks song was performed in front of a studio audience.”

Brooks’s legendry career has been wildly recognized in Ireland since the 1990s. He’s played in countless sold-out shows in Dublin, including in 2022 when he famously sold over 400,000 tickets during a run of five shows at Croke Stadium.

News first broke of the disturbing allegations against the Oklahoma native last week when CNN reported that a lawsuit was filed with the California Supreme Court in Los Angeles County by “Jane Roe.” According to the suit, “Roe” began working for Brooks in 2017 after originally being hired to do his wife, Trisha Yearwood’s hair and makeup in 1999. 

“Roe” is now claiming that Brooks once raped her during a work trip and exposed himself to her on multiple occasions, sent her explicit text messages, and frequently changed his clothes in front of her, among other allegations. 

Two specific incidents were referenced, both of which allegedly took place in 2019.

One incident allegedly occured at the country singer’s home, where “Roe” claims he emerged from the shower completely naked, “grabbed her hands and forced them” onto his private parts, all while speaking to her in sexually explicit terms.

In a separate claim from May 2019, the accuser alleges that Brooks raped her in a Los Angeles hotel room while they were in town for a GRAMMY tribute performance. Roe stated they had traveled to the location together on his 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’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.” 

Prior to Roe’s filing in California, Brooks filed a lawsuit in Mississippi under the name John Doe and made an attempt to deny the claims and prevent her from further spreading the accusations. Country Now has obtained this suit and it states: “Plaintiff files this lawsuit to obtain relief from Defendant’s ongoing attempted extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress through outrageous conduct including the publication and threatened wider publication of false allegations of sexual misconduct that would irreparably harm Plaintiff’s reputation, family, career and livelihood.”

The suit also claims that Roe worked for Brooks as an independent contractor. In May of 2020, she reportedly relocated to Mississippi and soon after began facing “financial difficulties.” At the time, according to the suit filed by Brooks, Roe asked him for financial assistance.  

“Plaintiff complied out of loyalty, friendship, and a desire to improve Defendant’s condition. But Defendant’s demands for financial assistance only increased, with Defendant ultimately asking Plaintiff for salaried employment and medical benefits,” the lawsuit states. 

He claims he could not comply with her request, at which point, she “responded with false and outrageous allegations of sexual misconduct she claims occurred years ago.” In his lawsuit, Brooks requests a trial by jury and asks for compensatory and punitive damages.

Brooks has since followed up with a statement of his own that reads:

“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,” he began. “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.” 

Brooks continues, “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.”

Later that night, the “If Tomorrow Never Comes” singer returned to the stage in Las Vegas for his Garth Brooks Plus ONE residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. 

Following the show, he took to social media to share a photo from his time on stage and paired it with a caption that reads:  “If there was ever a night that I really needed this, TONIGHT was that night! Thank you for my life!!!!! love, g.” 

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Yearwood also shared a photo from the couple performing in Vegas together and simply wrote, “Love One Another.”

Garth Brooks Plus ONE residency is expected to continue this weekend with shows from October 10 through October 13.