Not a great time for Garth Brooks’ family.
Late last week, the news broke that former hair and makeup artist who used worked for Garth Brooks’ wife Trisha Yearwood, as well as Garth himself, filed a lawsuit against him, alleging the country music superstar repeatedly sexually assaulted and eventually raped her in 2019.
Garth has of course vehemently denied all of the accusations against him, and it sounds like his wife Trisha (who was also named in the suit), is sticking by him, along with his three children.
A source who has recently worked closely with Garth exclusively told US Weekly that his family believes in his innocence, and called him a “very kind and nice man.” They added that many on his team also believe he is innocent:
“Garth is known to be a very kind and nice man, so these allegations are very shocking. Everyone around him including Trisha and his daughters believe him to be telling the truth. Many around him think this is out of character and something he would never do.
Everyone around him is shocked. All Garth cares about is his family and his fans. He is a family man and is very down to earth.”
Garth has three adult children, Taylor, August and Allie, who he shares with his ex-wife Sandy Mahl. They divorced in 2001, and he married Yearwood in 2005.
Only time will tell what the truth is as this plays out in court, but I feel for his daughters… this has got to be hard to be incredibly go through.
Garth Brooks’ Statement
Maintains his innocence.
Garth Brooks has issued his first statement since the country music world was shocked last week by a lawsuit filed against him in Los Angeles Superior Court by a former makeup artist for Garth and his wife Trisha Yearwood, accusing the country superstar of sexual assault and rape.
According to the lawsuit, the defendant who is identified only as Jane Roe began working for Yearwood in 1999 as a makeup artist and hair stylist. She began working for Garth in 2017, and in 2019, after hearing that Roe was struggling financially, Garth began hiring her more often.
Roe says she was initially grateful for the extra work, but that in 2019 she arrived at Brooks’ house to do his hair and makeup but was greeted by a naked Garth walking out of the shower with an erect penis. She says he forced her to touch him and encouraged her to perform oral sex, telling her that he had fantasized about this moment and wanted to “come all over her face,” especially while she wore her glasses.
She claims was naturally horrified and said no, but continued to work for him, as she needed the money.
Then in May of 2019, she accompanied Brooks to Los Angeles for a Grammy tribute to Sam Moore. When they arrived, she found out that Garth had only booked one hotel room for the both of them and it was in that hotel where she claims Garth violently raped her.
The lawsuit reads:
“Tragically, her worst fears came true when seconds later he was towering over her, his 6-foot and almost 300-pound frame ready to pounce on Ms. Roe, who is less than 5 feet and 100 pounds. As she began to panic, he grabbed her hands and pulled her into the next room and onto the bed where she could not escape his physical domination.”
The allegations contained in the complaint are extremely graphic, but the alleged victim also claims that Garth would subject her to other sexual abuses, such as talking about cunnilingus, exposing himself, sending her explicit text messages, touching her breasts, and openly talking about his fantasies (with her and others) and sexual encounters.
Roe is seeking unspecified monetary and punitive damages, as well as attorneys fees.
For his part, Garth apparently knew the lawsuit was coming, and in September filed a lawsuit in Mississippi seeking to prevent Roe from filing her claim, calling the allegations false accusing the woman of “extortionate conduct.”
“Defendant’s allegations are not true. Defendant’s publication of these false allegations was not privileged but was made with malice, ill will, and for the improper purpose of extorting an unwarranted payment from Plaintiff.”
Attorneys for Garth’s accuser released a statement slamming his attempts to block her lawsuit and praising their client for her courage.
In the statement, attorneys Jeanne Christensen and Hayley Baker, along with Douglas Wigdor, who has represented women in sexual assault claims against many powerful figures including Harvey Weinstein, Fox News and Joe Biden, said:
“We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks.
The complaint filed today demonstrates that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood and in the rap and rock and roll industries but also in the world of country music. We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions and his efforts to silence our client through the filing of a preemptive complaint in Mississippi was nothing other than an act of desperation and attempted intimidation.”
But in a new statement issued by his publicist, Garth called the lawsuit “extortion” and claimed the allegations were behavior that he is “incapable of.”
“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.
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. 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.”
NEW: In a statement from his publicist, Garth Brooks maintains his innocence and claims he has been extorted and defamed by his accuser.
“I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be,” he says.
Full statement here. pic.twitter.com/Tu5p1O8cQp
— Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) October 4, 2024
