Garth Brooks Says Sexual Assault Lawsuit Is “Extortion and Defamation”

Garth Brooks has responded to a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him on Thursday (October 3rd) with a statement vehemently denying the allegations and describing the action as an “extortion and defamation of character.”

The lawsuit was filed in a Los Angeles court by a former hairstylist and makeup artist for Brooks who claims he raped her on multiple occasions after hiring her in 2019 and engaged in other misconduct, including exposing his genitals and buttocks, groping her breasts, and sending sexually explicit text messages.

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“Brooks seized what he saw as an opportunity to subject a female employee to a side of Brooks that he conceals from the public,” the lawsuit reads in part. “This side of Brooks believes he is entitled to sexual gratification when he wants it, and using a female employee to get it, is fair game.”

In his statement, Brooks described the accusations as a shakedown for “millions of dollars” and confirmed he was behind a preemptive anonymous lawsuit filed in Mississippi federal court last month to block the allegations from going public.

“For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars,” Brooks said in the statement. “It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face.”

He continued, “Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of — ugly acts no human should ever do to another. We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides.”

“I want to play music tonight,” he concluded, referring to the latest show in his Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace. “I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart these wonderful things are in question now. I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.”

If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual misconduct, you can reach out for support:

RAINN Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
http://www.rainn.org

Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741
http://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)