Will Smith is going through a authorized firestorm as 2026 begins, with a newly filed lawsuit alleging a sample of predatory habits and sexual misconduct throughout his latest musical comeback. Brian King Joseph, knowledgeable electrical violinist and former America’s Got Talent finalist, filed the criticism in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week, naming each Smith and his firm, Treyball Studios Management Inc., as defendants. The Will Smith allegations heart on claims of grooming, sexual harassment, and a disturbing lodge room intrusion that Joseph says led to his retaliatory termination.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the skilled relationship between Smith and Joseph started in late 2024 when the violinist was employed to carry out on Smith’s “Based on a True Story” tour and contribute to his upcoming album. However, in line with the lawsuit, the dynamic rapidly shifted from skilled to predatory. Joseph alleges that Smith started “grooming and priming” him for sexual exploitation, usually insisting on spending important quantities of time alone with the musician.
The criticism particulars particular cases of Smith allegedly making suggestive feedback to foster a false sense of intimacy. Joseph claims that Smith advised him, “You and I’ve such a particular connection that I don’t have with anybody else,” an expression the lawsuit characterizes as a deliberate try to decrease the violinist’s guard. These early interactions laid the groundwork for what Joseph describes as a “traumatic collection of occasions” that reached a breaking level throughout a tour cease in Las Vegas.
The lawsuit facilities on an incident in March 2025 on the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Joseph alleges that after a rehearsal, he returned to his lodge room, which was booked and accessed by Smith’s administration group, to seek out proof of an unauthorized intruder. According to the submitting, the room contained objects that didn’t belong to him, together with wipes, a beer bottle, a pink backpack, and a bottle of HIV treatment labeled with one other individual’s identify.
Most alarming was a handwritten notice addressed to Joseph that learn: “Brian, I’ll be again no later [sic] 5:30, simply us (drawn coronary heart), Stone F.”
Joseph, fearing for his bodily security and believing he was being focused for a sexual assault, instantly reported the incident to lodge safety, a non-emergency police line, and Smith’s administration. However, the lawsuit claims that as an alternative of receiving assist, Joseph was met with hostility. He alleges {that a} consultant for Treyball Studios accused him of fabricating the story, asking him, “Why did you lie and make this up?” Days later, Joseph was terminated from the tour, with administration claiming the manufacturing was “entering into a special path,” regardless of allegedly hiring one other violinist to switch him nearly instantly.
Brian King Joseph Talked ‘Sexual Misconduct’ Days Before Filing Lawsuit
On Dec. 27, Joseph posted a video he referred to as a “PSA” about retaliation for reporting sexual misconduct. The Instagram video talked about “some issues occurred” when labored on “a serious, main tour with any person who is large within the trade.” At the time, he stored the main points imprecise and didn’t identify names as a result of it was already a authorized matter.
“Getting fired or getting blamed or shamed or threatened or something like that, merely for reporting sexual misconduct or security threats at work, just isn’t OK. And I do know that there’s lots of different individuals on the market who’ve been afraid to talk up, and I perceive. If that’s you, I see you,” he concluded, promising, “More updates to return quickly.”
Will Smith Sexual Assault Allegations Denied By His Legal Team
Will Smith has denied all allegations by his authorized counsel. Attorney Allen B. Grodsky issued a press release to a number of retailers labeling the Will Smith sexual assault allegations as “false, baseless, and reckless.” Grodsky emphasised that the claims are “categorically denied” and said that the protection will use “all authorized means obtainable” to make sure the reality is delivered to mild throughout the proceedings.
The authorized battle comes at a delicate time for Smith, whose “Based on a True Story” tour was meant to be a serious pillar of his profession resurgence. Joseph, represented by legal professional Jonathan J. Delshad, who can also be dealing with sexual assault civil fits towards Tyler Perry, is looking for compensatory and punitive damages. The violinist claims the ordeal has resulted in extreme emotional misery, financial loss, and PTSD.