Smith's PR team wants this framed as a frivolous money grab, insisting the allegations are 'nothing but an attempted money grab' and legally baseless tabloid fodder.
Insiders are buzzing about the specific Las Vegas hotel room incident involving HIV medication and an earring, questioning how such a wild claim originated.
A Feb. 20 motion filed by Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani seeks dismissal; plaintiff Brian King Joseph filed claims in December regarding the Based on a True Story tour.
The legal battle is heating up in Los Angeles, but Smith's team is betting heavily that the judge sees through the 'farce' before it hits a jury.
Will Smith’s legal team is pulling out all the stops to shut down a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the actor by a former tour musician. In a motion filed on Feb. 20, attorneys at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani labeled the claims a "farce of a lawsuit" and accused the plaintiff of attempting a "money grab." The filing, obtained by Billboard, marks Smith’s first official court response to the allegations brought by electric violinist Brian King Joseph, who performed on the star's international tour last year. Smith’s lawyers are aggressively arguing that a Los Angeles judge should throw out the case permanently because Joseph has not pled any valid facts to prop up his claims.
Joseph, who finished third on season 13 of America’s Got Talent, claims he was fired from the Based on a True Story tour after reporting an incident. He alleges that someone broke into his Las Vegas hotel room, leaving behind a bottle of HIV medication, an earring, and a sexually suggestive note. Joseph’s case attempts to connect Smith to the hotel room incident by claiming that the actor and singer was "grooming" him beforehand. However, Smith denies ever sexually harassing Joseph and insists that it is not known who broke into his room, stating it absolutely wasn't him or anybody on his team.
Smith’s team argues these claims are "nothing but an attempted money grab" and insists the actor was never alone with Joseph during the tour. According to the defense, the real reason Joseph was removed was due to erratic behavior and arriving late for rehearsals, making others uncomfortable. Lawyers wrote that Joseph was "never promised a regular position in the band" and ultimately "was not invited to perform at further shows." Smith says there is no truth to the "absurd conclusion" regarding the hotel room, noting that he was never even alone with Joseph.
Joseph’s attorney, Jonathan J. Delshad, pushed back on Friday, stating that "press-release rhetoric" is not evidence in a court of law. Delshad emphasized that "a jury’s ultimate determination matters more" and promised to present the facts when the case goes to trial. He argued that the defense's rhetoric is not evidence and that the gap between the rhetoric and the factual record will be obvious when the case is complete. The dismissal motion is scheduled to be considered by a Los Angeles judge at a hearing set for April, leaving both sides to prepare for a potentially messy courtroom showdown.
