Garth Brooks Filed a Preemptive Lawsuit Against Sexual Assault Accuser

Garth Brooks filed a complaint against his accuser in a United States District Court in the weeks before his sexual assault allegations came to light, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly.

Brooks, 62, identified only as “John Doe,” claims that his accuser, identified as “Jane Roe,” was attempting to extort and defame him with “false allegations” that would “irreparably harm” his reputation.

The documents reveal that Brooks claims Roe, now known to be his former hairstylist and makeup artist, asked Brooks for money when she encountered financial difficulty. Brooks says he complied initially, but her demands increased until she asked for a salary and medical benefits. When Brooks refused, the filing states, she responded “with false and outrageous allegations of sexual misconduct.”

In addition to the sexual misconduct allegations, which we now knows includes a rape allegation, allegedly exposing himself and sending sexually explicit text messages, Brooks claims Roe also accused him of planning to hire someone to murder her.

Brooks’ complaint cites multiple demand letters from Roe allegedly sent in July and August demanding “millions of dollars.” He is requesting the court award him “a declaratory judgment that [the] Defendant’s allegations against him of sexual misconduct are untrue,” compensatory and punitive damages, and more. Brooks has also demanded a trial by jury.

In a separate complaint obtained by Us Weekly and filed on October 1, Roe responded by calling Brooks’ accusations an “obvious attempt at gaming the judicial system.”

“With a draft of Ms. Roe’s California sexual assault complaint in hand, Mr. Doe raced to this courthouse in an obvious attempt to further control and bully his sexual assault victim,” the complaint reads. “Mr. Doe commenced this frivolous action after he learned that Ms. Roe intended to hold him accountable for his conduct and sexual violence.”

The complaint further argues that Brooks “improperly utilized the Declaratory Judgment Act in a desperate attempt to prevent the truth from coming out.”

In the time since Roe’s accusations came to light, Brooks has publicly denied any wrongdoing.

“For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars,” he said in a statement on Thursday, October 4. “It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face.“Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of—ugly acts no human should ever do to another.We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides.”

Brooks concluded: “I want to play music tonight. I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart that these wonderful things are in question now. I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.