Rapper and actor Will Smith, known for rarely swearing in his music, is now under scrutiny for alleged sexual harassment. Variety reports that the celebrity is facing legal action from violinist Brian King Joseph, who is accused of “knowingly enticing Mr. Joseph to engage in further sexual exploitation.”
The lawsuit isn’t just about Will Smith. His company, Treyball Studios Management, also came under attack. Apparently the misconduct, including sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation, all occurred during Will Smith’s “Based on a True Story” tour, of which Joseph was hired to perform in San Diego in November 2024 and later became a part of the tour.
The incident was related to his experience in Las Vegas, where according to Joseph, one of his luggage (containing his room key) went missing for several hours before being found and returned by management. Upon entering his room, Joseph allegedly found signs of “illegal” entry into his room. This was evident to him as a handwritten note read “Brian I’ll be back…just us” with a heart drawn on it and signed by a certain “Stone F”.
Other items named in the lawsuit include “wet wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another person’s name on it, an earring, and hospital discharge papers belonging to someone unknown to Joseph.” For Joseph, this caused serious concern as he felt someone might come in later to have sex with him, which allegedly prompted him to place a distress call to police, hotel staff, and Will Smith’s representatives.
According to Joseph, days later he was humiliated and wrongfully fired by someone on Smith’s tour management team. The lawsuit alleges that he suffered “severe emotional distress, financial loss, reputational harm and other harm” as a result of the hotel incident – and he seeks relief after apparently suffering financial loss and post-traumatic stress disorder from his subsequent firing. What do you think?
