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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Kevin E G Perry

‘Garth Brooks just revealed his true self’: Country star slammed for revealing rape accuser’s identity

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

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Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

Garth Brooks has been sharply criticized by lawyers acting for the woman who has accused him of rape for revealing her name in a new legal filing.

It emerged last week that the country music star, 62, is the subject of a lawsuit brought by a woman who says she worked for him as a hairstylist and makeup artist. Brooks has denied the allegations.

The woman was identified only as “Jane Roe” in the suit, but yesterday (October 8) evening Brooks shared her name in a court filing in Mississippi.

In a statement to The Independent, Roe’s lawyers Douglas H Wigdor, Jeanne M Christensen, and Hayley Baker said: “Garth Brooks just revealed his true self. Out of spite and to punish, he publicly named a rape victim.

“With no legal justification, Brooks outed her because he thinks the laws don’t apply to him. On behalf of our client, we will be moving for maximum sanctions against him immediately.”

They also stated they intend to file a motion for sanctions to revert to “Jane Roe” immediately, so The Independent will not be publishing the real name of Brooks’ rape accuser at this time.

Garth Brooks has vehemently denied allegations of sexual assault
Garth Brooks has vehemently denied allegations of sexual assault (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

In the lawsuit, Roe says she was first hired to do hair and makeup for Brooks’s wife, Trisha Yearwood, in 1999. She said she began working for Brooks directly in 2017.

She goes on to claim that in May 2019 she traveled with Brooks to Los Angeles on his private jet.

“Usually there were others on Brooks’ private jet but this time, Ms Roe and Brooks were the only two passengers,” the complaint stated. “Once in Los Angeles at the hotel, Ms Roe could not believe that Brooks had booked a hotel suite with one bedroom and she did not have a separate room.”

She alleges that Brooks raped her and that on subsequent occasions he physically groped her and made “repeated remarks” about “having a threesome” with his wife.

“Brooks’ rape of Ms. Roe was painful and traumatic. Having no regard for her wellbeing and intent on his own sexual gratification at the expense of Ms. Roe’s physical, mental and emotional trauma, at some point during the nightmare, Brooks even held her small body upside down [and attacked],” the lawsuit read.

The graphic suit details the alleged hotel result and adds, “Disgustingly, Brooks insisted that Ms. Roe wear her eyeglasses while he carried out his sexual assault fantasy.”

After the alleged assault, the suit states the woman styled Brook’s hair and did his makeup for the unknown event.

In addition to the allegation of rape, Brooks is accused in the lawsuit of repeatedly exposing his genitals to the woman, sharing sexual fantasies with her and sending her sexually explicit text messages.

The suit asked for an unspecified amount of money.

Brooks, who denies the allegations, said he previously sought to prevent Roe from repeating the allegations publicly through a complaint he filed as a “John Doe,” and he filed a similar complaint this week that named both parties.

The Independent has approached representatives for Brooks for comment.

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