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Garth Brooks Accused of Assault and Battery, Sued by Hair and Makeup Artist Jane Roe in Lawsuit
Country singer Garth Brooks has been accused of sexual assault and battery in a new lawsuit filed by a woman going by the name “Jane Roe,” In Touch can confirm.
Jane filed the paperwork in a state court in California on Thursday, October 3, according to court documents obtained by In Touch. The woman, who claimed to have worked for Garth, 62, as a hair and makeup artist, alleged that the incidents occurred in 2019. She claimed that she was raped by Garth during a work trip.
CNN was the first to report.
Jane was initially hired in 1999 to do hair and makeup for Garth’s wife, Trisha Yearwood, according to the lawsuit. She then began doing hair and makeup services for Garth in 2017.
Jane accused the “Friends in Low Places” singer of repeatedly exposing his genitals and buttocks, inappropriately discussing sexual fantasies with her, changing his clothes in front of her on a regular basis and sending sexually explicit texts.
The woman detailed an alleged incident in 2019 when she was at Garth’s home for work. Jane claimed that the CMA Award winner allegedly exited the shower while naked and “grabbed her hands and forced them” onto his genitals while he said sexually explicit and vulgar phrases to her.
In a second alleged incident in May 2019, Jane claimed that Garth raped her in a hotel room while they were on a work trip in Los Angeles. The pair had traveled to L.A. on the musician’s private jet, according to the filing.
“Usually there were others on Brooks’ private jet but this time, Ms. Roe and Brooks were the only two passengers,” the paperwork read. “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.”
Jane alleged that she felt “trapped” as Garth “appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, completely naked.” Following the rape, Jane claimed that Garth continued to grope her as he shared sexual fantasies involving Trisha, 60. He allegedly spoke about “having a threesome” with his wife, whom he married in 2005.
Garth previously denied Jane’s claims and attempted to block her from publicly repeating the accusations she made against him in an anonymous filing under the name “John Doe,” according to CNN. He claimed that Jane’s attorney sent a “confidential” demand letter in which she accused him of sexual misconduct after he allegedly declined her request for “salaried employment and medical benefits.”
“Defendant’s allegations are not true,” the lawsuit stated, per CNN. “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.”
Jane’s attorneys responded with a statement to the outlet, claiming that Garth’s “efforts to silence our client through the filing of a preemptive complaint in Mississippi was nothing other than an act of desperation and attempted intimidation.”
“We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions,” lawyers Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen and Hayley Baker said. “We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks. The complaint filed today demonstrates that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood and in the rap and rock and roll industries but also in the world of country music.”
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
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