Attorneys for the woman, known as Jane Roe, who accused Garth Brooks of rape have expressed outrage after the singer revealed her identity in an amended legal complaint. In a statement to TheWrap, the attorneys denounced Brooks for publicly naming a rape victim without legal justification and announced plans to seek maximum sanctions against him. Brooks’ amended complaint, filed in Mississippi, accuses the woman of attempted extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress through false allegations of sexual misconduct that he claims are baseless.
The complaint alleges that the woman worked for Brooks for 15 years before moving to Mississippi, where she asked Brooks for financial assistance due to financial difficulties. Brooks provided support until she requested salaried employment and medical benefits, which he denied. The woman then allegedly made false allegations of sexual misconduct that Brooks only became aware of in July. These allegations, which the complaint states have caused emotional distress for Brooks and his family, include claims of sexual grooming, hostile work environment, unwanted touching, and assault. The woman reportedly requested a multi-million dollar payment in exchange for her silence.
In response to the allegations, Brooks seeks a declaratory judgment that the accusations are untrue, compensatory damages for emotional distress, defamation, and invasion of privacy, and an injunction to prevent the woman from speaking about the case. He also requests costs, attorneys’ fees, and interest. Brooks’ decision to name the accuser in the amended complaint was explained as necessary for the sake of his family and out of respect for both his and the woman’s families, as the woman’s counsel had already revealed Brooks’ identity to the media.
The rape accusations against Brooks were first made in a lawsuit filed by the woman on October 3, 2024, alleging an incident in 2019 when she was allegedly raped by the singer while working for him at an event. The lawsuit claimed that the assault took place in a hotel room during a trip to Los Angeles. The woman is represented by prominent attorney Douglas Wigdor, known for filing #MeToo lawsuits against Harvey Weinstein and others, who commended his client for coming forward and vowed to hold Brooks accountable for his actions. In response to the woman’s lawsuit, Brooks had filed a preemptive complaint to prevent her from going public with her allegations, denying the accusations and expressing concern over the potential damage to his reputation and career.
