Brian King Joseph sues Will Smith for sexual harassment, shares video explaining why
Hollywood star Will Smith has been sued by a tour violinist who is accusing the entertainer of sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation.
In the suit, filed Tuesday and reviewed by Variety.
Musician Brian King Joseph names Smith and Treyball Studios Management as defendants in a suit filed Tuesday.
According to Variety, the suit accuses Smith of “predatory behavior” and “deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation” while on his “Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour” in the spring.
On Dec. 25, Joseph shared a video on Instagram in which he appears to the rapper’s tour and the lawsuit.
“Earlier this year I was hired to be a performer on a major major tour with somebody who was huge in the industry. So I was excited, you know, proud of myself for getting the opportunity. Unfortunately some things happened,” Joseph said in the video.
“I can’t get too into the details of exactly what that was because it’s already a legal issue right now, but the reason why I’m speaking out about this is because getting fired or getting blamed or shamed or threatened or anything like that simply for reporting sexual misconduct or safety threats at work is not okay.”
“I know that there’s a lot of other people out there who have been afraid to speak out, and I understand, and if that’s you, I see you,” he added. “And that’s pretty much it. More updates to come soon. Thanks for listening.”
The suit, per Variety, states Smith hired Joseph in November 2024 to perform at a show in San Diego and was subsequently invited to join his 2025 tour and play on his upcoming album. As their relationship grew closer, the suit alleges, Smith told Joseph that “you and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else.”
Joseph claimed he discovered that someone had entered his Las Vegas hotel room with no signs of forced entry.
According to PEOPLE, evidence “of a sexual threat of violence” allegedly included a handwritten note reading, “Brian, I’ll be back…just us,” with a drawn heart and signed, “Stone F,” as well as “wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork belonging to a person unbeknownst to” Joseph.
