Rapper and actor WIll Smith, someone known for barely even cursing in the music that he puts out, is now under scrutiny for alleged sexual harassment. According to Variety, the celebrity is facing legal action initiated by violinist Brian King Joseph, where he is being accused of “deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation.”
The lawsuit hasn’t targeted Will Smith alone; his company, Treyball Studios Management, is also under fire. Apparently, the wrongdoings that include sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation all happened during Will Smith’s Based on a True Story tour, where Joseph was hired to perform in San Diego in November 2024, following which he became part of the tour.
The incident pertains to his time in Las Vegas, where according to Joseph, one of his bags (containing his room key) went missing for a few hours before being found and returned by management. Upon entry into his room, Joseph allegedly discovered signs of “unlawful” entry to his room. To him, this was evident on account of a handwritten note reading, “Brian, I’ll be back…just us” along with a heart drawn on it, and signed by a certain “Stone F”.
Other items mentioned in the lawsuit also include “wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork belonging to a person unbeknownst to Joseph.” To Joseph, this raised serious concern as he felt as though someone might come in to commit sexual acts with him later, allegedly prompting a distress call to the police, the hotel staff, as well as Will Smith’s representatives.
According to Joseph, days later, he was shamed by someone part of Smith’s tour management team and wrongfully terminated. The suit claims “severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and other damages” on account of the hotel incident — which he seeks relief for after apparently suffering economic harm and PTSD from the termination that followed. What do you think?
