Garth Brooks files lawsuit in response to rape, sexual assault accusations
Garth Brooks has filed a new lawsuit against a professional makeup artist and hairstylist he previously worked with who accused him of rape, sexual assault and more crimes earlier this month.
In a new filing submitted Tuesday in Mississippi, Brooks claims he is the “victim of a shakedown” from a former employee, named Jane Roe in court filings.
In Brooks’ amended complaint, he shared the name of Jane Roe. ABC News is not naming Brooks’ accuser.
Brooks previously filed a lawsuit in September keeping himself and his former employee anonymous to “obtain relief from [Roe’s] ongoing attempted extortion, defamation” and “false allegations of sexual misconduct that would irreparably harm” his “reputation, family, career and livelihood,” according to the filing.
Roe then filed a lawsuit earlier this month in Los Angeles accusing the country singer of rape, sexual assault and more. She named Brooks in the filing.
Brooks denied the allegations and accused Roe of extortion through a statement from his lawyer at the time.
Roe’s attorneys — Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen and Hayley Baker — responded with a statement following Brooks’ naming of their client.
“Garth Brooks just revealed his true self. Out of spite and to punish, he publicly named a rape victim,” they said in their statement. “With no legal justification, Brooks outed her because he thinks the laws don’t apply to him. On behalf of our client, we will be moving for maximum sanctions against him immediately.”
Roe is demanding a trial by jury on all triable issues and seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees and “further relief as the court may deem proper.”
Brooks is also demanding a trial by jury and compensatory and punitive damages as well as “a declaratory judgment” that Roe’s “allegations against him of sexual misconduct are untrue.”
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