Garth Brooks' legal team seeks to transfer a sexual assault lawsuit to federal court, citing potential advantages in trial scheduling and jury selection. The case involves allegations from a former hair and makeup artist, with Brooks countering claims of extortion and defamation.
- Garth Brooks is stepping up his legal game
- He is in the middle of a sexual abuse case
- THIS is the latest
Garth Brooks Faces Legal Challenge with Federal Court Move
In a significant legal maneuver, attorneys for renowned country musician Garth Brooks have requested the transfer of a sexual assault lawsuit from a California state court to a federal jurisdiction.
The lawsuit, originally lodged in a California superior court in October, involves a plaintiff identified as Jane Roe, who is seeking damages exceeding $75,000. This monetary threshold aligns with federal court requirements, prompting the motion for transfer.
Entertainment Tonight has highlighted potential benefits for Brooks in moving the case to federal court. Legal expert Tre Lovell explained that federal courts often offer expedited trial dates and a jury pool that tends to be more blue-collar. Additionally, Lovell noted that federal judges might be "more amenable to dismissing a case," which could play in Brooks' favor.
The allegations, detailed in a lawsuit filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court and accessed by Rolling Stone, involve a hair and makeup artist who previously worked with Brooks.
She alleges that the first incident occurred during a styling appointment at Brooks' home, where he purportedly emerged from a shower unclothed, "grabbed her hands and forced them onto his erect penis," expressing that he "had fantasized about this moment and wanted her to perform oral sex on him."
A second alleged incident took place when the woman accompanied Brooks to Los Angeles for a Grammy tribute event. She claims that Brooks "trapped" her in a hotel room, "grabbed her hands and pulled her" onto a bed, where she alleges he raped her.
In response to the lawsuit filed in October, Brooks has vehemently denied the accusations, asserting that he is a victim of extortion and defamation.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Brooks stated, "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. It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face."
Brooks also claimed that Roe "threatened" to "publicly disclose false claims" about him that would "imperil" his business and reputation, referencing allegations she made in an Oct. 3 complaint. In that complaint, she alleged the country singer exposed his genitals to her, spoke to her openly about his sexual fantasies and sent sexually explicit text messages to her in 2019.
He has denied Roe’s allegations, claiming in a statement to 'People' magazine that he has been fighting for a while now.
"I want to play music… I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart [that] 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,” Brooks said in his statement.
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Furthermore, Brooks addressed the situation during a Facebook Live Q&A, indicating the legal proceedings could be protracted. He mentioned, "This thing is on; it’s gonna happen. People are telling me it could be up to two years. So my suggestion is, we all take a deep breath, just kinda settle in and let’s hold hands and take a trip together. Because it is something that we cannot talk about. That’s all we can say about it."
