{"id":54754,"date":"2026-01-02T08:39:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T08:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/02\/will-smith-sued-by-tour-violinist-for-sexual-harassment-termination\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T08:39:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T08:39:36","slug":"will-smith-sued-by-tour-violinist-for-sexual-harassment-termination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/02\/will-smith-sued-by-tour-violinist-for-sexual-harassment-termination\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Smith Sued by Tour Violinist for Sexual Harassment, Termination"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\tWill Smith<\/a> has been sued by a tour violinist alleging sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation. <\/p>\n

\n\tBrian King Joseph filed the suit in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles on Dec. 30\u00a0against Smith and Treyball Studios Management. It accuses Smith of \u201cpredatory behavior\u201d and \u201cdeliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation\u201d ahead of his Based on a True Story: 2025<\/em> tour.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe lawsuit alleges that Smith hired Joseph in November 2024 to perform at a show in San Diego. The rapper subsequently invited Joseph to join his 2025 tour and to play on his forthcoming album. The suit claims that Smith once told Joseph, \u201cYou and I have such a special connection that I don\u2019t have with anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJoseph alleges a \u201ctraumatic series of events\u201d that occurred in Las Vegas in March 2025, where Smith was performing. During on incident, Smith\u2019s management allegedly lost Joseph\u2019s bag, which contained his hotel room key. Joseph claims he discovered someone had entered his Las Vegas hotel room with no signs of forced entry. Evidence \u201cof a sexual threat of violence\u201d allegedly included a handwritten note reading, \u201cBrian, I\u2019ll be back\u2026 just us,\u201d with a drawn heart and signed, \u201cStone F.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tThe musician also found \u201cwipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual\u2019s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork belonging to a person unbeknownst to\u201d Joseph.\u00a0Joseph claims he \u201cfeared that an unknown individual would soon return to his room to engage in sexual acts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tJoseph reported the incident to hotel security and Smith\u2019s representatives, as well as the non-emergency police line. The suit alleges that a few days later, a member of Smith\u2019s management team \u201cshamed\u201d him for the incident and told him he was being terminated while suggesting that Joseph made the whole thing up. Joseph says he subsequently suffered \u201cPTSD and other mental illness as a result of the termination.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe \u201ccircumstances of the hotel intrusion all point to a pattern of predatory behavior rather than an isolated incident,\u201d the complaint reads. It adds that Joseph experienced \u201csevere emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and other damages\u201d\u00a0as a result of the alleged incident and the termination. <\/p>\n

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\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

\n\t\u201cMr. Joseph\u2019s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless,\u201d Allen B. Grodsky, an attorney for Smith, told People<\/em><\/a> in a statement. \u201cThey are categorically denied, and we will use all legal means available to address these claims and to ensure that the truth is brought to light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSmith released his most recent album, Based on a True Story<\/a><\/em>, in March. Smith performed in Las Vegas on March 20, 2025 at the House of Blues Las Vegas and at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles a few days later. His tour officially kicked off in June in Rabat, Morocco. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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