Garth Brooks has issued a statement after being accused of rape and sexual assault by a hair and makeup artist, saying that she is accusing him of “ugly acts” for money.
On Thursday evening (Oct. 3), Brooks responded to the allegations — which were made public after a lawsuit was filed by the woman who is identified as “Jane Roe” earlier Thursday — via CNN.
Garth Brooks’ Statement on Rape and Sexual Assault Allegations
An update was made to CNN’s original reporting just before 9:45PM ET Thursday night. Brooks’ full statement is as follows, per the outlet:
“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 states.
“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,” the star concludes. “We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides.”
What Is Garth Brooks Accused Of?
Two alleged incidents are described in a lawsuit that was obtained by CNN and described in graphic detail by TMZ.
The first — per chronology shared by TMZ — is alleged to have happened in early 2019. “Roe,” who is not named, says she was at Brooks’ home when he walked out of the shower nude, grabbed her hands and forced them onto his genitals. She says he also used language that was sexual in nature.
A second incident is said to have happened in May of 2019 when Brooks was booked to perform a Grammy tribute to Sam Moore. Roe says Brooks raped her in a Los Angeles hotel room ahead of the show. She claims she and the star were the only two people to fly in a private plane to L.A. — not a common occurrence, she notes — and once there she was surprised to find Brooks had booked a hotel suite with just one bedroom. In the suite, Roe says Brooks stood in the bedroom door, overpowering and raping her.
TMZ included graphic details of both alleged incidents. CNN adds that Roe claims Brooks would physically grope her and tell her sexual fantasies in the time she worked for him. She was a longtime makeup artist for Brooks’ wife, Trisha Yearwood, starting in 1999, before beginning to work for Brooks as early as 2017.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes