What To Know
- Violinist Brian King Joseph has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles accusing Will Smith of sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
- Joseph, who appeared on AGT, alleges that his hotel room was unlawfully entered during a tour stop, with suspicious items and a note left behind.
- Smith’s attorney has categorically denied all allegations, calling them false and baseless, and stated that they will pursue all legal avenues to address the claims.
Will Smith has been accused of sexual harassment and wrongful termination in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles by violinist Brian King Joseph, who performed as part of the actor’s Based on a True Story: 2025 tour.
Joseph, who rose to fame in 2018 after he reached the top three on America’s Got Talent, joined Smith’s concert tour after playing for the Men in Black star at his home, per The Daily Mail, citing the court documents.
In the documents, Joseph claimed that during a tour stop in Las Vegas in March 2025, he returned to his hotel room at 11:00 pm and found that it had been “unlawfully entered” by an “unknown person.” Joseph alleged that a handwritten note had been left in his room, which read, “‘Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30 just us, (hand-drawn heart), Stone F.’”
“Among the remaining belongings were 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 Plaintiff,” the lawsuit stated.
Joseph, who was scared someone would “return to his room to engage in sexual acts” with him, reported the incident to hotel security, a non-emergency police line, and Smith’s management team. However, he claimed to have been “shamed” by the tour management and subsequently fired and replaced on the concert tour.
“The facts strongly suggest that Defendant Willard Carroll Smith II was deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation,” the lawsuit stated. “The sequence of events, Smith’s prior statements to Plaintiff, and the circumstances of the hotel intrusion all point to a pattern of predatory behavior rather than an isolated incident.”
Before the alleged incident, Joseph claimed in the lawsuit that he and Smith had developed a close relationship after working together on the tour and the rapper’s latest album. Smith is said to have told Joseph at one point, “‘You and I have such a special connection that I don’t share with anyone else.’”
Smith’s attorney, Allen B. Grodsky, has denied the accusations on his client’s behalf, telling the Daily Mail, “Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless. 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.”
If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network‘s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call 911.