Will Smith is being sued by a former performer he hired to join his 2025 tour. Brian King Joseph, a violinist and finalist from season 13 of America’s Got Talent, has filed a workforce retaliation lawsuit against the Oscar winner. Joseph alleges he was fired after reporting an incident of sexual harassment.
According to Joseph, he experienced a “traumatic series of events” while working with Smith. The incident in question occurred in March 2025, when Joseph discovered strange belongings in his Las Vegas hotel room. Among the items were “wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork” belonging to someone else. Joseph also found a note that read, “Brian, I’ll be back. just us,” signed with a heart and the name Stone F.
Joseph claims that prior to this hotel incident, Smith made unwarranted advances toward him. The lawsuit alleges that Smith “was deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation” after hiring him to accompany the tour supporting his fifth studio album. Joseph recalls Smith telling him during one meeting, “You and I have such a special connection that I don’t have with anyone else.”
After discovering the belongings, Joseph reported the situation to hotel staff, a local non-emergency police line, and Smith’s management team. However, he says that someone from the management team “shamed” him and threatened termination. Shortly afterward, Joseph was fired.
As a result of the incident and his termination, Joseph claims to have suffered “severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and other damages,” including “PTSD and other mental illness.”
In response, an attorney representing Smith and the associated company told Entertainment Weekly, “Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless. They are categorically denied, and we will use all legal means available to address these claims and to ensure that the truth is brought to light.”
Videos related to this case were reported by PopCulture.com. The situation continues to develop as legal proceedings move forward.
https://popculture.com/celebrity/news/americas-got-talent-finalist-sues-will-smith/
