Hollywood icon Will Smith is being sued by a tour violinist for accusations that include sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The suit alleges that Smith has engaged in “predatory behavior” in addition to “deliberately grooming and priming” musician Brian King Joseph “for further sexual exploitation.”
This was shared by Variety, in which the outlet reviewed the suit, which Joseph filed following his involvement on Smith’s “Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour.” As such, the alleged events would have occurred this past spring.
Here’s how the outlet detailed the start of the events as mentioned in the suit:
“The suit alleges that Smith hired Joseph in November 2024 to perform at a show in San Diego and was subsequently invited to join his 2025 tour and play on his upcoming album. As their relationship grew closer, Smith told Joseph that ‘you and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else,’ among other similar expressions.”
Furthermore, at the start of their work together in Las Vegas during March 2025, Joseph claims that the events escalated while the Men in Black star, his band, and his crew members stayed at a hotel. Joseph’s “suit claims that his bag, which contained his hotel room key, went missing for several hours before management found and returned it to him, and that members of management were the ‘only individuals with access to [his] room.'”
The event allegedly escalated further:
“Later that night, Joseph returned to find that someone had ‘unlawfully’ entered the room and left behind belongings including wipes, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, and a note that read, ‘Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart), Stone F,’ which Joseph interpreted as a warning that ‘an unknown individual would soon return to his room to engage in sexual acts’ with him.”
At this point the incident was reported to a non-emergency police line as well as hotel security and Smith’s representatives. In the following days, a member of Smith’s management team “shamed” Joseph and said he was terminated. This member allegedly suggested that Joseph made up his story.
As such, Joseph claims that he has suffered from PTSD and economic loss as a result of the termination. In addition to suing Will Smith for sexual harassment and wrongful termination, he is also suing for retaliation. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding this controversial situation as we have them.