Professional violinist Brian King Joseph has filed a lawsuit against actor Will Smith and his company, Treyball Studios Management, Inc., alleging sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation. The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, outlines claims of an escalating professional relationship, an alleged incident in a Las Vegas hotel room, and subsequent termination from Smith's "Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour." Smith's attorney has denied the allegations.
Lawsuit Overview
The lawsuit was filed just before the new year in Los Angeles. Joseph seeks damages for severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and other alleged injuries, including PTSD and mental illness. He also seeks compensatory and punitive damages, along with attorney fees, to be determined at trial.
Development of Professional Relationship
According to the complaint, Joseph and Smith developed a professional relationship beginning in November or December 2024. Joseph performed with Smith in December 2024 and at two shows in San Diego. He was subsequently hired for Smith's "Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour" and was invited to contribute to Smith's "Based on a True Story" album, which was released on March 28. The tour was scheduled to include 26 dates in Europe and the U.K.
Allegations of Personal Connection
The lawsuit alleges that Smith and Joseph spent additional time together while working on the album. During this period, Smith reportedly made statements to Joseph such as, "You and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else." The complaint asserts that these interactions were part of a pattern of behavior aimed at "deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation."
The Las Vegas Hotel Incident
In March 2025, during what Joseph claims was the first leg of the tour, he joined Smith's crew for a performance in Las Vegas on March 20. Joseph states he was provided a hotel room booked by Smith’s team. He alleges that he placed his room key in his bag, which was stored in a cast and crew transport van, and that only crew and hotel staff would have had access to his key.
Joseph claims that management took hours to retrieve his bag following a rehearsal. Upon returning to his hotel room late that evening, he alleges discovering evidence suggesting unauthorized entry. This evidence included:
- A handwritten note addressed to Joseph, reading, "Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart), Stone F."
- Wipes
- A beer bottle
- A red backpack
- A bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name
- An earring
- Hospital discharge paperwork belonging to an individual unknown to Joseph.
Joseph states he reported the incident to hotel security, Treyball representatives, and contacted the local non-emergency police line (311). He also documented the findings with photographs and requested a room change. Hotel security reportedly found no signs of forced entry. Joseph flew home the following day.
Termination and Allegations of Blame
Several days after the reported Las Vegas incident, Joseph alleges that Smith’s team began to blame him for the event. He claims he was informed by a Treyball representative that his services were no longer needed for the tour, stating the tour was "going in a different direction."
Joseph alleges that when he sought clarification, Tim Miller, reportedly acting on behalf of the defendants, questioned if he had fabricated the incident, stating, "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?" Joseph states he compiled a timeline of events at Miller's request. The lawsuit further alleges that another violinist was subsequently hired for the tour, suggesting the stated reason for Joseph's termination was pretextual.
In December, Joseph posted a video on Instagram indicating that he had been hired for a major tour but that "some things happened" he could not discuss due to legal matters. He also stated, "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 OK."
Legal Claims and Denials
The lawsuit asserts that the facts indicate a "pattern of predatory behaviour rather than an isolated incident" by Willard Carroll Smith II.
Will Smith's attorney, Allen B. Grodsky, told Fox News that Joseph's allegations are "false, baseless and reckless." Grodsky stated that the claims are "categorically denied" and that all legal means would be used to address them.
Joseph's attorney, Jonathan J. Delshad, has previously filed civil suits alleging sexual assault against Tyler Perry on behalf of actors who claimed they were not hired after rejecting Perry's alleged advances.