Garth Brooks is accused of rape and sexual assault in a lawsuit

Garth Brooks, the country music sensation, is facing allegations of rape and sexual assault in a lawsuit that was submitted on Thursday.

A woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, claims that Brooks harassed her multiple times while she was employed as his makeup artist. She also alleges that he sexually assaulted her in 2019. She noted that he attempted to portray himself as a victim when he filed a lawsuit against her just last month.

In a statement released late Thursday, Brooks refuted the claims against him. "I've faced relentless harassment filled with threats, deceit, and frightening stories about what would happen to me if I didn't pay out millions. It's been like someone holding a loaded gun to my head."

In a legal complaint lodged in a California Superior Court, the woman's lawyers state that she, referred to as Jane Roe, had been hired to do makeup for Trisha Yearwood, Brooks' wife, since 1999. In 2019, she started facing financial problems, and she claims that Brooks stepped in to assist by providing her with additional job opportunities.

The woman asserts that Brooks exploited her desire for employment. She recounts that later in 2019, Brooks showed her his genitals. In a separate incident, she alleges that he raped her in a hotel suite in Los Angeles while he was getting ready for a Grammy tribute.

The complaint states, "Without any consideration for Ms. Roe, once Brooks was done, everything returned to normal." It goes on to explain, "Ms. Roe hurriedly styled his hair and applied his make-up for the event to ensure he arrived on time."

The woman stated that Brooks received a mysterious text message following the supposed assault, which said that Brooks had "destroyed his life."

By that time, she hadn't been employed by Brooks for several months, which made Brooks think that the woman’s husband could have been the one who sent the text, according to the complaint.

Brooks supposedly said to the woman, “I figured as much. Oh no! I was looking for you to have a conversation or do whatever was necessary, but I really don’t want to cause any harm. I just feel really terrible about it.”

During her employment at Brooks from 2017 to 2021, the woman alleges that he also sent her sexually explicit messages, often changed his clothes in her presence, and regularly touched her inappropriately while she was doing his hair and makeup.

She is filing a lawsuit for sexual battery and assault, seeking financial compensation, punitive damages, coverage for her legal expenses, and a trial by jury.

Last month, Brooks initiated a federal lawsuit against the woman, alleging that she is attempting to blackmail him for money and damage his reputation. This situation arose after he chose not to offer her a salaried position or provide her with health benefits.

He states that the woman mailed him a letter in July in which she alleged that she had been sexually assaulted and accused Brooks of planning to kill her, as mentioned in his lawsuit.

Brooks states that he got another letter the following month, in which the woman indicated she would remain silent about her claim if he gave her a substantial sum of money.

In his remarks, Brooks expressed, "Whether it's a large amount or a small one, hush money is still hush money. To me, that implies I'm acknowledging actions that I'm not capable of — disgraceful things that no one should ever inflict on another person."

He is seeking both financial compensation and punitive damages, along with reimbursement for legal fees and a trial by jury. He also wants the court to officially state that the woman's allegations are untrue.

"I have faith in the system, I’m unafraid of the truth, and I’m not the person they’ve portrayed me as," he remarked.