The Hollywood star Will Smith has been named as a defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by professional violinist Brian King Joseph in Los Angeles just before the new year.
According to court documents, Joseph alleges that Smith engaged in “deliberate grooming and priming” for further sexual exploitation starting after their initial meeting in November 2024. The complaint states that following his first performance with Smith in December 2024, Joseph was hired to join Smith’s “Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour.”
Joseph claims that Smith and he began spending additional time alone, including instances where Smith reportedly told him, “You and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else.” The lawsuit indicates that the relationship grew closer as Smith offered Joseph opportunities to play on several tracks of his upcoming album.
Documents reveal that Joseph joined the first leg of the tour in March 2025 in Las Vegas. During his stay at a hotel room booked by Smith’s team, he discovered evidence of inappropriate activity, including a handwritten note addressed to him with a specific time (read: “Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart)”) and personal items such as wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, HIV medication labeled with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge papers for an unknown person.
After reporting the incident to hotel staff, Smith’s management team, and local authorities, Joseph claims he was terminated by tour management. A second violinist was reportedly hired to replace him on the tour.
The complaint states that Joseph suffered severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and mental health consequences including PTSD as a result of the termination.
Joseph, a Washington, D.C. native who competed on America’s Got Talent season 13 in 2018 as a top-three finalist, filed the lawsuit following his December 2024 performance with Smith. The new complaint follows a separate $3 million lawsuit filed in December by former associate Bilaal Salaam against Jada Pinkett Smith.