America’s Got Talent star Brian King Joseph has accused Will Smith and his company of sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation in a bombshell lawsuit.
The professional violinist, who placed top three on the reality TV show in 2018, filed the lawsuit on December 30 at the Superior Court of California.
Joseph claims that the Bad Boys actor, 58, ‘was deliberately grooming and priming him for further sexual exploitation’ after asking him to join Smith’s Based on a True Story: 2025 tour. An attorney for Smith has denied the claims.
People Magazine reports that the lawsuit alleges that in March 2025, following a ‘traumatic series of events’, someone had forced entry into his Las Vegas hotel room.
He claimed that there was evidence of ‘sexual threat of violence’, including a handwritten note that allegedly read: ‘Brian, I’ll be back…just us.’
Alongside the note, Joseph continued to allege that there were ‘wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork’ in the room, which did not belong to Joseph.
According to the lawsuit, Joseph ‘feared that an unknown individual would soon return to his room to engage in sexual acts.’
Joseph claims he reported the incident to hotel staff and a local non-emergency police line, as well as Smith’s management team.
However, he went on to allege that he was ‘shamed’ by a member of the management team, who then terminated his employment.
The lawsuit claims that the incident caused Joseph ‘severe emotional distress, ec
onomic loss, reputational harm, and other damages,’ including ‘PTSD and other mental illness as a result of the termination.’
Allen B. Grodsky, an attorney for Smith, told People in a statement: ‘Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless.
‘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.’
It comes after Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, faced a $3 million (£2.2m) complaint from former associate Bilaal Salaam claiming she verbally threatened him.
Salaam, 55, a longtime friend of the couple, alleged in the lawsuit filed on December 1 that he would ‘catch a stray bullet’ or ‘go missing’ if he didn’t stop talking about her personal business.
Pinkett Smith, 54, was accused of confronting Salaam during a gathering for her husband’s birthday in 2021 with ‘approximately seven members of her entourage.’
Salaam alleges that she became ‘verbally aggressive’ and demanded that he sign a non-disclosure agreement.
He went on to claim that following the altercation, Pinkett Smith and her team followed Salaam to his car ‘while continuing to issue verbal threats.’
The lawsuit alleges that in March 2022, Salaam refused to assist with ‘crisis management’ after Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage at the 94th Academy Awards after the comedian made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s hair.
Salaam claims he refused to perform tasks that ‘he believed were illegal, unethical, or morally compromising, stating his conscience would not allow him to be involved in any cover-up or deceptive PR campaign.’
As a result, he says he was the ‘target of a retaliatory campaign launched against him’ by Smith and Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith and Smith have denied his claims.
Metro has contacted representatives for Will Smith and Brian King Joseph for comment
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