Garth Brooks launches ‘high risk’ strategy against sexual harassment claim accuser: professional
Garth Brooks suing his sexual harassment accuser for defamation is “a double-edged sword.”
The country star is accused of raping “Jane Roe” in 2019 on a business trip, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. According to documents posted by “Jane Roe,” the woman was first hired in 1999 to do makeup and hair. Brooks’ wife, Trisha Yearwood. She began working for Brooks doing makeup and hair in 2017, a few years before the incidents.
Brooks, 62, denied the allegations and amended her complaint to “Jane Roe” in an Oct. 8 filing obtained by Fox News Digital. The “Much Too Young” singer has accused the woman, whom he named in the file, of attempted extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
His decision to sue his accuser and share her name was a “bold move” with “significant risks,” Duncan Levin, Harvey Weinstein’s former attorney, told Fox News Digital.
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Garth Brooks has challenged a woman who accused him of rape. (Getty Images)
“On the other hand, filing a defamation case shows that Brooks is taking aggressive action to protect his reputation,” said a lawyer not involved in Brooks’ case. “Sometimes this can work in favor of public officials who believe they are falsely accused as it forces the accuser to provide evidence to support what they say. However, naming the accuser can cause controversy, especially if the case is true or the accuser gains sympathy from the accusers. It can also be seen as an attempt to intimidate or deter others For potential accusers to come forward, which may be subject to legal criticism, Brooks will need to prove that these allegations are false and have caused serious damage to his reputation.”
Brooks’ accuser’s attorneys in a statement sent to Fox News Digital, “Garth Brooks has recently revealed his true identity. In addition to punishment, he publicly named a rape victim. Without legal reasons, Brooks removed him because he thought the laws did not work for him on behalf of our client, and we will try to find more sanctions at once.”
Most celebrities choose not to name the accuser in an effort to avoid public controversy, according to a criminal defense attorney.
“It is possible that Brooks or his legal team feel confident in their defense, which may explain why they are willing to be aggressive in their approach,” Levin explained. “Filing a countersuit suggests they believe they can not only defeat the allegations but also prove they are baseless. Still, this is a double-edged sword. If Brooks doesn’t have a strong defense, it could be seen as vindictive and damage his soul. Even more reputation.”
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood have been married since 2005. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
“In short, this is a very dangerous strategy, with great rewards,” continued the lawyer. “If Brooks wins the defamation case, that could clear his name in court for the public to see. But if the case backfires, that could fuel negative public opinion and put him in serious legal jeopardy.”
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Brooks originally filed a lawsuit trying to block the makeup artist’s lawsuit in September, according to a complaint obtained by Fox News Digital. In a court filing filed under the name “John Doe,” Brooks denied the woman’s claims.
The woman contacted Brooks through an attorney with a letter seeking a plea in July accusing the “Friends in Low Places” singer of “sexual grooming,’ creating a sexually hostile work environment, unwanted sexual contact, and sexual harassment,” according to the lawsuit. documents. In August, Brooks allegedly received a letter from the victim’s attorney noting that the lawsuit could be dismissed in exchange for a “million dollar settlement.”
Garth Brooks’ former makeup artist has accused the country singer of rape in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
“Filing a countersuit suggests they believe they can not only defeat the allegations but also prove they are baseless. Still, this is a double-edged sword. If Brooks doesn’t have a strong defense, it could be seen as vindictive and damage his soul. Even more reputation.”
Although Brooks’ move to file a lawsuit first puts the singer in a “good position,” legal expert Jeff Lewis noted that the singer is still struggling.
“Obviously Garth Brooks is well represented,” Lewis, a defamation attorney, told Fox News Digital. “By filing a lawsuit first, he is in a better position to request the right to be a plaintiff. This will allow him to present his case in front of a judge at the beginning of the trial, allowing the accused of sexual harassment to appear again, by filing in Mississippi he can avoid laws in California that make it difficult for a defamation claim to succeed. The ‘sue first’ strategy is unusual and shows that Brooks is willing to take this matter to trial. I also suspect that Brooks’ lawyers will file a motion in Los Angeles to have the Los Angeles lawsuit transferred and heard in Mississippi as well as the dismissal case. of dignity.”
“As a public figure, Brooks will have to testify in court that he not only lied to his hairdresser, but he also did so with real malice, which means he knew what he was saying was false,” he added. “This is a heavy burden that some famous plaintiffs have trouble meeting.”
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Garth Brooks said the sexual assault case was an attempt to extort money. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM)
According to the lawsuit filed by “Jane Roe,” Brooks and a makeup artist traveled to Los Angeles in 2019 for a Grammys tribute to R&B singer Sam Moore. Instead of having separate rooms, “Jane Roe” said that one room was booked for the two of them to share. After arriving, Brooks allegedly raped a makeup artist.
Before the alleged rape, the makeup artist said Brooks got out of the shower at her home in 2019. “She looked up in shock as Brooks came out of the shower, naked, erect and pointing his dick” at her. The singer allegedly told “Jane Roe” that he “had a dream about this time” and asked her to perform oral sex on him.
In the filing, “Jane Roe” also included a screenshot of a text exchange detailing the alleged sex between her and Brooks.
The makeup artist said Brooks took her phone in 2020 and “deleted most of the text messages” sent to “Jane Roe.” However, other texts remained, including one exchange that started well but ended: “And that big stick you’re carrying! Roo-sevelt!!”
“I’ll take that nickname,” Brooks allegedly replied before adding, “Thanks. I love you.”
A text message allegedly between Brooks and the makeup artist is included in the lawsuit. (Supreme Court of the State of California)
The pop star has denied the allegations. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Videotaped messages and recordings can strengthen” a case of sexual harassment when the alleged incident is closed, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital.
“If the messages and recordings are accurate, it appears that some type of sexual activity took place between Brooks and Roe,” said Rahmani, founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers. “The question is: Was it consensual or not? That’s what separates rape from dating.”
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While text messages can bolster a civil case, they must be verified, Angela Reddock-Wright, an employment and Title IX attorney based in Los Angeles, told Fox News Digital.
“The best way to get text messages admitted in a lawsuit is to subpoena the text messages from the cell phone company where the messages are stored and make sure that those messages are authorized by an authorized representative from the cell phone company and/or a forensics expert who is responsible for recovering cell phone data,” said the attorney.
“Brooks went ahead and sued Roe for fraud,” added Rahmani. “That helped him get ahead of the press and put Roe as a shakedown artist. But if Roe has receipts and other evidence to prove sexual harassment, no amount of PR can help Brooks in court or in court of public opinion.”
The former makeup artist has worked for both Garth Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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