Garth Brooks didn’t mention his ongoing sexual assault lawsuit during his stop on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday night (Nov. 25).

But he did arguably allude to his unfolding legal battle in one emotional moment, while he was telling host Jimmy Kimmel about his holiday traditions with his wife Trisha Yearwood and his three daughters.

“For me, [Christmas tree] ornaments are cool, but they gotta have a meaning to them,” he said. “[Yearwood and I] always decorate with the three girls. We’ve done that since we’ve known each other. So the three girls have three bells, and that’s the first thing that has to go on the tree.”

Brooks blinked back tears, and jokingly apologized, “I’m gonna start crying, sorry.”

“That’s the first thing that goes on the tree, and that means it’s Christmas and that means it’s time to love one another and drop all this silly s–t and just have some fun together,” he continued.

Elsewhere during the conversation, Brooks spoke further about family holiday traditions, explaining that he and his superstar wife planned a “Misfit Thanksgiving,” inviting about “20 or 25 people” who aren’t able to be with their families to join them on the holiday.

He also said that typically, his Christmas tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving. This year, though, they did things a little different, since Brooks is planning to spend more time away from home than usual as he completes the final dates in his Las Vegas residency next month.

“So Ms. Yearwood said, ‘We’re starting Christmas now.’ That was about three weeks ago,” he recounts.

Other topics of conversation included Brooks’ Vegas residency and the new installment of his Anthology book series, and he also introduced the song he planned to sing during his performance slot on the show — the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishin’ in the Dark.”

That song choice might seem like a confusing one from Brooks, who’s got a robust catalog of his own songs to choose from. The singer said “Fishin’ in the Dark” is one song he’s always wanted to cut.

There was a little bit of confusion about whether Brooks would make it to the Kimmel couch at all. His appearance was originally canceled, according to a statement by the live events company that organized it, but then quietly put back into place.

What to Know About Garth Brooks’ Sexual Assault Lawsuit

• Brooks is currently being sued by a hair and makeup artist he’s known for about two decades.
• News of the lawsuit first broke on Oct. 3, when the woman — identified as Jane Roe — filed against him in documents obtained by CNN.
• It later came to light that Brooks had filed a preemptive lawsuit using pseudonyms on Sept. 13. Those documents were arguing to proceed with the whole case using anonymity for both parties.
• On Oct. 8, Brooks filed an amendment that used his real name as well as hers, asking for a judge to dismiss his original filing.

Has Garth Brooks Spoken to His Fans About His Lawsuit?

• Brooks hasn’t said much about his legal battles to his fans.
• On Oct. 8, he addressed the situation briefly on an episode of his Facebook series, Inside Studio G.
• He simply confirmed, “This thing is on,” and cautioned fans that the legal process could take “up to two years.”
• Yearwood hasn’t commented publicly on the lawsuit either, but reports have indicated that she — and Brooks’ daughters — are siding with him in the lawsuit.
• That’s backed up by a couple of onstage appearances Yearwood has made at Brooks’ shows.