Will Smith Sued by Tour Violinist For Wrongful Termination, Retaliation
Smith's lawyer called the lawsuit, which also brings a claim for sexual harassment, "false, baseless and reckless."
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.”
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.