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Garth Brooks denies rape allegations made by former makeup artist

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Garth Brooks denies rape allegations made by former makeup artist

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Garth Brooks, a household name in country music, has been accused of sexual assault and battery by a former hair and makeup artist for raping her in a Los Angeles hotel room in 2019.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in a California court by Jane Roe and obtained by USA TODAY, accuses Brooks, 62, of “taking advantage of the opportunity to introduce a female employee to a side of Brooks that he had previously presented.” “The Brooks side believes that he has a right to sexual satisfaction when he wants it and that using a female employee to do so is fair game.”

Prior to Roe's filing, CNN reported that an anonymous celebrity plaintiff — now apparently Brooks — had tried to block his accuser from publicly repeating her allegations and had denied the woman's various claims of physical and sexual abuse.

Thursday's lawsuit follows an apparent attempt by Brooks to hide the sexual assault allegations from the public through a lawsuit he filed as a John Doe in Mississippi federal court on Sept. 13, the same day the Country singer announced the conclusion of his show in Las Vegas residency.

John Doe's, or Brooks', statement of claim last month said the sexual assault allegations would cause “irreparable harm to plaintiff's reputation, family, career and livelihood.” Brooks has been married to Grammy Award-winning country star Trisha Yearwood since 2005.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Brooks and Yearwood for comment.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Roe's lawyers applauded “our client's courage in advancing her complaints against Garth Brooks.”

“The complaint filed today shows that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood, and the rap and rock and roll industries, but also in the world of country music,” said attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor , Jeanne M. Christensen and Hayley Baker in the statement.

“We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions, and his efforts to silence our client by filing a preemptive lawsuit in Mississippi were nothing more than an act of desperation and attempted intimidation. We encourage others who may have been victims of this to contact us because no survivor should suffer in silence.”

Roe's lawsuit was filed under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which allows for the revival of sexual abuse claims that would otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations.

Garth Brooks denies allegations: 'I'm not the man they made me out to be'

In a statement obtained by USA TODAY Thursday evening, Brooks said he trusts “the system” and added, “I am not afraid of the truth, and I am not the man they have portrayed me to be.”

“For the past two months, I have been harassed endlessly with threats, lies and tragic stories about what my future would be if I did not write a multi-million dollar check. “It was like waving a loaded gun in my face,” Brooks continued.

“Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my eyes, that means I'm admitting to behavior that I'm incapable of – ugly acts that no human being should ever do to another,” Brooks continued while addressing the September suit. “We filed a lawsuit against this person almost a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of reputation. For the benefit of the families on both sides, we filed the lawsuit anonymously.”

Brooks concluded: “I want to play music tonight. I would like to continue our good deeds in the future. It breaks my heart that these wonderful things are now in question.”

Garth Brooks ends his residency in Las Vegas, says he plans to be wife Trisha Yearwood's “plus one.”

Former employee of Garth Brooks claims sexual abuse began in 2019

The 27-page lawsuit alleges that unnamed celebrity makeup artist Jane Roe was first hired in 1999 as a hairdresser and makeup artist for Brooks' wife, Trisha Yearwood. In the lawsuit, Roe claims she “continued to work for Yearwood as well as many other celebrities over the years.”

In 2017, she began doing makeup and hairstyling for Brooks. The alleged abuse began two years later.

According to the lawsuit, Roe was at Brooks' home styling her hair and putting on makeup when “she looked up in horror as Brooks emerged from the shower naked with an erection and pointed his penis at Ms. Roe.” He then seized her hands and “forced her onto his erect penis,” the lawsuit says.

“Brooks horrifically told Ms. Roe that he had dreamed about this moment and wanted her to perform oral sex on him so he could come 'all over her face,' particularly while she was wearing her 'glasses,'” it says in the lawsuit further.

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Another instance in which Roe accused Brooks of sexually assaulting her occurred in May 2019, when she and the 14-time Grammy nominee traveled to Los Angeles to attend a Grammy tribute to R&B singer Sam Moore to participate. Roe and Brooks were the only passengers on his private jet, the lawsuit says, and Brooks booked a one-bedroom hotel suite without a separate room for the makeup artist.

Here, too, Brooks allegedly made sexual advances by appearing “completely naked in the doorway to the bedroom,” the lawsuit says. “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 her and far from Nashville.”

The lawsuit states that Roe felt “her worst fears were coming true” when the country singer “towered over her” and “she was unable to escape his physical dominance.”

The lawsuit states: “She was unable to escape his grasp and was afraid of what was happening to her. While he was holding her upside down and dangling by her ankles, all the blood rushed to her head, making her dizzy and nauseous.” . While Brooks forcefully penetrated her, he said perverted things to Ms. Roe about his sexual abilities.

After the alleged rape, the lawsuit says Brooks showed “cold disregard” for Roe as she continued to do his hair and makeup for the Grammy event.

Lawsuit: Garth Brooks sent 'sexually explicit text messages' suggesting a threesome with his wife Trisha Yearwood

After the sexual assault in Los Angeles, the lawsuit says Brooks expressed his sexual fantasies to Roe “more frequently,” “along with his physical groping of her breasts while she did his hair and makeup.”

The country singer's sexually charged conversations with Roe included “repeated comments about having a threesome with his wife, Ms. Yearwood, insinuating that Ms. Roe would be the third person.”

According to the lawsuit, Roe believes Brooks' wife overheard these comments “at least once.”

After a 2020 incident in which Brooks allegedly made sexually explicit comments toward Roe in front of his manager and his wife, Roe sent a text message to the singer.

The message read: “I cannot work in an environment where explicit sexual comments are made about shampoo bottles that double as dildos. I don't mean any harm to you, and if you really appreciate my work, I'm happy to come by tomorrow and/or whenever you need my services.

In 2021, the lawsuit says, Roe moved to Mississippi.

Although not named, the lawsuit states: “Through her hard work, skill and dedication, Ms. Roe has performed hair styling and makeup for celebrities who have been featured in countless publications including Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, In Style, Esquire and Nash Magazine appeared.” .”

Garth Brooks announces end of Las Vegas residency ahead of lawsuit

After selling more than 150 million albums, filling stadiums for decades and receiving top honors like the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and the Kennedy Center Honors, Brooks announced the final shows of his sold-out Garth Brooks/Plus One residency at the Colosseum in September Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

“If there was anyone who would say I'm going to do this for the rest of my life, it would be me,” Brooks said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY last month. “I'll miss it. The audience is so great. I'll surround everyone with a Garth audience, but packing up the phones (during shows) has made a big difference because every show is a surprise for the fans. That’s how it was.” fabulous. I hate to see the end of this.

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He added that his job for 2025 after his residency shows is to “be the plus one.”

“My wife is kind enough to always be there for me when I need her,” Brooks said. “I have to reciprocate, and we have to listen to her more than two songs a night. I told her I would be the frontman. I’ll stay backstage and do whatever she needs.”

Brooks is a two-time Grammy winner and has sold more than 162 million albums, making him the second best-selling artist of all time in the United States

Contributor: Melissa Ruggieri

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