By Karina Tsui, Sandra Gonzalez, NCS
(NCS) — A violinist who carried out on tour with Will Smith has filed a lawsuit towards the actor-musician and a management firm, accusing them of retaliation, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
According to a grievance filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County court docket, violinist Brian King Joseph was fired shortly after reporting to police an alleged intrusion into his resort room, wherein supplies and a word addressed to him have been left in his room whereas he was away.
NCS has reached out to Smith’s representatives and to a contact affiliated with Treyball Studios Management for remark.
Smith’s legal professional has denied the allegations, in accordance with an announcement given to PEOPLE on Thursday.
“Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless,” legal professional Allen B. Grodsky mentioned, in accordance with PEOPLE. “They are categorically denied, and we will use all legal means available to address these claims and to ensure that the truth is brought to light.”
According to the go well with, Joseph was employed in late 2024 for Smith’s “Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour” and different performances.
Joseph and Smith developed a detailed relationship main as much as and in the course of the tour, the go well with claims, with Smith telling Joseph at one level, “You and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else.”
The lawsuit facilities on an incident in March 2025 in Las Vegas. The go well with alleges somebody had “unlawfully” entered Joseph’s resort room and left wipes, a beer bottle, a backpack, a bottle of HIV treatment and hospital discharge paperwork with one other individual’s identify unknown to him, and a word that learn: “Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart), Stone F.”
Fearing the unknown particular person would return to “engage in sexual acts,” Joseph says he notified resort safety and Smith’s representatives, took photographs of the objects and requested a room change, in accordance with the grievance. He additionally referred to as a neighborhood police nonemergency line to report the incident.
Hotel safety discovered no indicators of pressured entry into the room, in accordance with the go well with, and mentioned the one people with entry to his room would have been with the management staff who booked the room.
According to the go well with, as a substitute of investigating, tour management later accused Joseph of fabricating the claims and terminated his employment. The lawsuit states he was instructed the tour was “moving in a different direction,” however one other violinist was quickly employed to fill his position.
Joseph believes Smith was concerned within the resolution to fireplace him, in accordance with the go well with, and claims Joseph was being “deliberately” groomed and primed “for further sexual exploitation.”
At the time of his termination, the go well with claims the incident resulted in extreme emotional misery, PTSD and financial loss.
The-NCS-Wire
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NCS’s Dan Heching contributed to this report.