Federal judge rules Garth Brooks MS lawsuit against rape accuser can continue. What to know

Bonnie BoldenPam Dankins
Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Civil arguments over allegations that country music superstar Garth Brooks raped and sexually assaulted a former employee will continue in court.

Brooks’ accuser asked for a lawsuit he filed against her in Mississippi court to be dismissed last year. A judge recently ruled that the request is moot.

Her similar case in a California federal court is on hold, pending the Mississippi court’s decisions.

Here’s what we know about the lawsuits so far.

Why are there Garth Brooks lawsuits in Mississippi and California?

Their attorneys were in settlement negotiations, and her counsel said they’d file a suit in California court if no resolution was reached by Sept. 13. Talks continued until Sept. 9, and Brooks’ filed in Mississippi on the 13th. He lives in Tennessee, and she reportedly lives in Mississippi.

An attorney representing Roe, a pseudonym for the former employee, told the court the country music star’s suit was filed “intentionally” and “presumptively” in the Magnolia State to conflict with the California lawsuit. They said it was an attempt to work around the Anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation provision. Anti-SLAPP protects people from meritless lawsuits that aim to intimidate someone from exercising their First Amendment rights.

Brooks’ initial suit argued they needed pseudonyms to protect both sides’ privacy.

Roe filed her complaint on Oct. 3 in California state court. (It was moved to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in November.) In the initial filing, she used “Roe” as a pseudonym for herself but Brooks’ name. One of his attorneys said it was to “smear” his reputation.

In an Oct. 8 court filing from Brooks’ team, both their names were used. The Clarion Ledger is only identifying her as Jane Roe. Although the woman’s name is listed in public records, the Clarion Ledger does not release the names of those alleging rape or sexual assault.

After Brooks’ filing using their full names, Roe’s attorney said releasing her name was done “purely out of spite.”

The Mississippi case was later sealed.

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Brooks argues she tried to blackmail him

Brooks’ reportedly was trying to keep Roe from going public with allegations that he raped and sexually abused her in 2019 while Roe was working for him as a hairdresser.

Brooks’ lawsuit argues he wanted relief from Roe’s alleged attempt to extort, defame and inflict emotional distress through “outrageous conduct” and “false allegations of sexual misconduct” deemed harmful to Brooks’ reputation and family.

In this complaint, Brooks said Roe sent him two demand letters in which she threatened to go public with the allegations and sue him unless he paid her millions of dollars.

Brooks wanted tort claims, damages and declaratory relief at first but later amended the complaint to only damages.

Woman says Brooks raped, harassed her when she worked for him

In her filings, the woman described herself as a hair and makeup stylist who worked with Brooks’ wife, country singer Trisha Yearwood, beginning in 1999 and started working for Brooks in 2017. In that complaint, Roe said Brooks learned of her financial hardship and used that to take advantage of her.

Roe said in the lawsuit that Brooks asked her to travel to Los Angeles with him for a Grammy program. Roe alleged the two flew together and alone in Brooks’ private airplane. When they arrived, Roe allegedly found out Brooks had booked a hotel suite with one bed for both of them. Roe then alleged that while the two were alone in the suite, Brooks raped her and “held her small body upside down by her feet.”

“She was helpless to move from his grip and terrified at what was happening to her. While he held her upside down, dangling by her ankles — all the blood rushed to her head, causing her to be dizzy and sick,” Roe’s attorneys wrote. They said, afterward, it was “business as usual. Ms. Roe worked quickly to style his hair and do his make-up for the event, so he was on time.”

The woman also alleged Brooks talked about sexual fantasies with her, sent her sexually explicit text messages, and exposed his genitals to her many times including during the 2019 incident when Brooks walked out of the shower naked and forced her to grab his penis.

Brooks and his attorneys have continued to deny all wrongdoing and labeled the accusations as extortion.

What did the judge rule on the motion to dismiss?

Jane Roe filed a motion to dismiss the suit last fall. She also filed a motion to change the venue, which was later amended. There was a motion hearing via Zoom held in January.

On May 1, U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate found that the motion to dismiss was moot on the Mississippi case. That means the issue is not relevant anymore for some reason.

The update in federal court filings online says he will not file a written order on the issue.

Where does the California lawsuit stand?

In December, Brook’s motion to dismiss the California lawsuit was stayed, pending updates in the Mississippi suit.

His attorneys were to update the California judge within 10 court days (meaning days the court is open) of any rulings.

No updates were yet filed in the federal record, but the deadline has not been reached as of May 12.

See photos of Garth Brooks through the years