Will Smith performs at Coachella in April Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Coachella Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text Will Smith has been sued by a former violinist on his 2025 tour, who alleges he was illegally fired in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment. Brian King Joseph, in a lawsuit filed on Monday in California state court, accuses the actor of "predatory behavior" and "deliberately grooming and priming" him for "sexual exploitation," though he doesn't cite a specific incident in which Smith was involved. He brings claims against for wrongful termination, retaliation and sexual harassment, among others. In a statement, Allen Grodsky, a lawyer for Smith, called the allegations "false, baseless and reckless." He added, "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." Related Stories Music Stephen Schwartz Started 2025 Mentoring Mark Sonnenblick. Now They're Competing Against One Another for Awards. Music AI Music Deals, a Rock Comeback and Country's Coastal Invasion: Trends That Defined the Music Business in 2025 According to the complaint, Smith invited King to perform at a San Diego show in 2024 and, later, his global tour, "Based on a True Story" and upcoming album. He says the actor told him that "you and I have such a special connection, that I don't have with anyone else." At a Las Vegas hotel in March 2025, King's bag, which contained his room key, went missing for several hours before it was returned to him by the tour management team, the lawsuit says. Later that night, King alleges he found a note in his room addressed to him that read, "Brian, I'll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart), Stone F," as well as a bottle of HIV medication, an earring and hospital discharge paperwork. He says he feared that the person, who he suspects was a member of Smith's management team, would "return to his room to engage in sexual acts with him." Later, King says he was blamed for the incident he described as sexual harassment and terminated. When he asked why, the lawsuit says he was told, "I don't know, you tell me, because everyone is telling me that what happened to you is a lie, nothing happened, and you made the whole thing up. So, tell me, why did you lie and make this up." King, who finished third on a season of America's Got Talent, claims that the circumstances "all point to a pattern of predatory behavior rather than an isolated incident." He says he suffers from PTSD and seeks unspecified damages. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Tommy Lee Jones Victoria Jones, Actor and Daughter of Tommy Lee Jones, Found Dead in San Francisco Hotel Betty Boop Betty Boop and 'Blondie' Enter Public Domain in 2026 international French Government Defends Granting Citizenship to George and Amal Clooney Zohran Mamdani NY Mayor Zohran Mamdani Refuses to "Reset Expectations" in Rousing Inaugural Address: "I Will Not Abandon My Principles for Fear of Being Radical" politics George Clooney Punches Back After Trump Attacks Him: "We Have to Make America Great Again. We'll Start in November" Walt Disney World Disney World Worker Recovering After Being Struck by Runaway Prop Boulder in 'Indiana Jones' Stunt Show Tommy Lee Jones Victoria Jones, Actor and Daughter of Tommy Lee Jones, Found Dead in San Francisco Hotel Betty Boop Betty Boop and 'Blondie' Enter Public Domain in 2026 international French Government Defends Granting Citizenship to George and Amal Clooney Zohran Mamdani NY Mayor Zohran Mamdani Refuses to "Reset Expectations" in Rousing Inaugural Address: "I Will Not Abandon My Principles for Fear of Being Radical" politics George Clooney Punches Back After Trump Attacks Him: "We Have to Make America Great Again. We'll Start in November" Walt Disney World Disney World Worker Recovering After Being Struck by Runaway Prop Boulder in 'Indiana Jones' Stunt Show