Brooks is accused of several sexual crimes
Garth Brooks has responded to allegations of a lawsuit filed against him for sexual assault and rape by his former professional hair and make-up artist from Mississippi. The country megastar issued a statement through his publicist after details were made public on Thursday (Oct 3rd).
“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,” Brooks says.
“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.”
The 27-page suit, filed by in Los Angeles by Jane Roe, accuses Brooks of assault, battery, sexual battery, Bane Act, Ralph Act, and Gender Violence from 2019 when she was employed by the singer. Several incidents were described by the plaintiff, including when Brooks and Roe were the only passengers on his private jet from Nashville to LA.
The preliminary statement reads, “In 1999, Plaintiff was hired to do the make-up and hair styling for the Grammy Award-winning artist Trisha Yearwood. Ms. Roe continued to work for Ms. Yearwood over the years, as well as for many other celebrities, and in 2017 she started to do make-up and hair styling for Garth Brooks, Ms. Yearwood’s husband.
”By 2019, after Brooks learned that Ms. Roe was experiencing financial difficulties, he hired Ms. Roe more often. She was grateful for the additional income and thanked him repeatedly.
“It did not take long for Brooks to take advantage of her financial hardship. Brooks seized what he saw as an opportunity to subject a female employee to a side of Brooks that he conceals from the public. This side of Brooks believes he is entitled to sexual gratification when he wants it, and using a female employee to get it, is fair game.
“One day in 2019 when Ms. Roe was at Brooks’ house to style his hair and do his make-up, she looked up in horror as Brooks walked out of the shower, naked, with an erection and pointing his penis at Ms. Roe, came directly toward her. He grabbed her hands and forced them onto his erect penis. Brooks appallingly told Ms. Roe that he had fantasized about this moment and wanted her to perform oral sex on him so that he could ‘come all over her face,’ specifically
while she had her ‘glasses on.’
“Shocked and confused, Ms. Roe pulled back and said she was not going to do what he wanted. Knowing that she needed the work, however, Brooks correctly predicted that Ms. Roe did not leave.
“In May 2019, Brooks asked her to travel to Los Angeles with him for a Grammy tribute to Sam Moore. Usually there were others on Brooks’ private jet but this time, Ms. Roe and Brooks were the only two passengers. 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.
”After they arrived, suddenly Brooks appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, completely naked. He stood there and flexed his muscles. Ms. Roe immediately had a sick feeling in her stomach, knowing she was trapped in the room alone with Brooks, with no one to help and far away from Nashville.
“Tragically, her worst fears came true when seconds later he was towering over her, his 6-foot and almost 300-pound frame ready to pounce on Ms. Roe, who is less than 5 feet and 100 pounds. As she began to panic, he grabbed her hands and pulled her into the next room and onto the bed where she could not escape his physical domination.
“Brooks’ rape of Ms. Roe was painful and traumatic. Having no regard for her well-being and intent on his own sexual gratification at the expense of Ms. Roe’s physical, mental and emotional trauma, at some point during the nightmare, Brooks even held her small body upside down by her feet and penetrated her.
“She was helpless to move from his grip and terrified at what was happening to her. While he held her upside down, dangling by her ankles — all the blood rushed to her head, causing her to be dizzy and sick. While Brooks forcefully penetrated her, he said perverted things to Ms. Roe about his sexual prowess.
“Brooks also repeatedly slammed his penis into her vagina causing Ms. Roe’s back to keep hitting his body over and over with such force she felt as if he was breaking her in two. Disgustingly, Brooks insisted that Ms. Roe wear her eyeglasses while he carried out his sexual assault fantasy.
“With cold disregard for Ms. Roe, when Brooks was finished, it was business as usual. Ms. Roe worked quickly to style his hair and do his make-up for the event so he was on time.”
The document also accuses Brooks of subjecting the plaintiff to other “appalling sexual conduct” while detailing phone conversations and text exchanges Brooks is accused of sharing with Roe.
Roe is seeking a jury trial and statutory damages in California.
NEW: In a statement from his publicist, Garth Brooks maintains his innocence and claims he has been extorted and defamed by his accuser.
“I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be,” he says.
Full statement here. pic.twitter.com/Tu5p1O8cQp
— Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) October 4, 2024
