Culture
Smith’s sexual harassment accuser posted a video disclosing the reasons for her going public with the incident a few days before she lodged the complaint
Violinist Brian King Joseph Takes Legal Action Against Will Smith Over Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Allegations
Brian King Joseph, a violinist by profession, has initiated legal proceedings against Will Smith and the actor’s company for sexual harassment, unlawful termination, and retaliation, among other things.
On Tuesday, Dec. 30, Joseph made a complaint to the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, where he pointed to the Bad Boys actor, 57, and Treyball Studios Management, Inc. as the defendants.
According to the document, Smith “was deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation” after a supposed incident that Joseph alleges happened while he was accompanying Smith on the actor’s worldwide Based on a True Story tour in March 2025.
Just a few days before the complaint was filed, Joseph posted a video on his social media which seemingly hinted at the lawsuit.
Brian King Joseph Claims He Was Fired After Reporting Alleged Misconduct
Dec. 25, days before suing the company, Brian King Joseph posted a video on Instagram in which he seemed to refer to Will Smith’s tour and the legal action he was going to take.
“I got hired earlier this year as a performer on a major major tour with a music star of the industry. So, you know, I was excited, proud of myself for having gotten the job opportunity,” the musician said.
“I am not allowed to get into the details of this situation because it is a legal matter now, but the key point I am making is that getting fired, getting blamed, getting shamed, getting threatened, or, in any way, being punished, simply for reporting sexual misconduct or safety threats at work, is totally unacceptable.”
Moreover, he wished to be a source of inspiration for other victims: “I know that there are still a lot of people who have been scared of speaking out and I understand that if you are one of them, I am seeing you. That is basically it. Stay tuned for more news. Thank you for taking the time.”
During Will Smith Tour, Brian King Joseph Accuses of “Sexual Threat of Violence” Incident
BGT Season 13 finalist Brian King Joseph in his lawsuit says that he went through a “traumatic series of events” while on Will Smith’s tour in March 2025.
He says that the day he came back to his Las Vegas hotel room, he found out that it had been broken into, even though there was no sign of forced entry. What he says the place is left with is “evidence of a sexual threat of violence” consisting of a handwritten note that says, “Brian, I’ll be back…just us.” In the same letter, the initials “Stone F” are signed with a heart. There were also wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another person’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork belonging to someone he does not know.
Brian King Joseph Claims He Was Let Go After Reporting The Incident At The Hotel; Will Smith’s Lawyer Disputes The Story
After Brian King Joseph brought up the incident in the hotel room to the staff, a local non-emergency police line and Will Smith’s management team, according to the complaint, a member of the tour’s management allegedly “shamed” him and informed him he was being let go. They say another violinist was brought in to cover the tour role of Joseph, the filing asserts.
Joseph states that the whole ordeal caused him “severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and other damages,” including PTSD and other mental health issues “due to the termination,” according to the complaint.
Will Smith’s lawyer has vehemently denied the accusations. “Mr. Joseph’s accusations against my client are completely untrue, groundless, and irresponsible,” Allen B. Grodsky said in a written statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, Jan. 1. “We deny them outright, and we will be employing every legal option at our disposal to deal with these charges and to make sure that the truth prevails.”
