Will Smith sued over sexual harassment claims

The well-known actor Will Smith has been sued for sexual harassment by violinist Brian King Joseph.

Joseph, 32, rose to prominence after placing among the top three finalists on America’s Got Talent in 2018, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

According to court documents reviewed by Daily Mail, he was hired for Smith’s concerts in 2024, having previously performed for the actor at his residence.

In the lawsuit, Joseph alleges that during a tour stop in Las Vegas last March, he returned to his hotel room around 11:00 p.m. He claims that a handwritten note had been left in the room reading, “Brian, I’ll be back no later than 5:30,” accompanied by a heart and signed “Stone F.”

The plaintiff further claims that personal items were left alongside the note, including napkins, a bottle of beer, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication bearing another person’s name, an earring, and hospital documents belonging to someone unknown to him.

Joseph says he feared that someone might return to his room to engage in sexual acts, so he reported the incident to hotel security, the police, and Smith’s management team.

He alleges that he was subsequently fired and replaced, which he says caused “severe emotional distress, economic loss, damage to reputation, and other harms,” as well as additional mental health issues.

In the lawsuit, Joseph adds that “the facts suggest” Smith was “intentionally grooming and manipulating” him for “further sexual exploitation.”

As reported by CE Report, Will Smith’s attorney, Allen B. Grodsky, has denied the allegations in a statement to the Daily Mail, calling them “false, baseless, and reckless.”