The country music superstar Garth Brook is faced with increasingly serious legal battles after a woman who said he sexually assaulted her in 2019 filed court papers opposing his efforts to get her case dismissed in California. Lawyers for Roe claim that Brooks’s effort to move the lawsuit to Mississippi reflects a “bad faith” strategy that is intended to circumvent the protections offered by California’s laws.
She filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles, claiming Brooks sexually assaulted her at a May 2019 music industry event when he forcibly overpowered her in a hotel room. She claims Brooks, who is significantly taller than her, forcefully overpowered her during the attack. A second instance, which occurred in October 2019, is supposed to also have involved inappropriate behavior and assault. Brooks has denied her allegations.
Brooks’ lawyers had filed a defamation and extortion lawsuit against Roe in Mississippi. They alleged that Roe’s statements were false and were a ruse to extort tens of millions of dollars from the singer. According to Roe’s lawyers, this was an effort to circumvent California’s anti-SLAPP law, which bars harassing lawsuits aimed at choking off free speech.
The legal jockeying has been contentious, with Roe’s attorneys claiming Brooks revealed Roe’s identity in court documents and was using “vengeful tactics.” They argue that the case belongs in California, where the alleged incidents occurred, and where Roe seeks a fair jury trial.
Brooks said that the allegations were part of an extortion scheme, adding, “For months, I have faced threats and lies, all demanding financial payouts.
Both sides are waiting to hear the outcome of Brooks’ motion to dismiss the California case, with a hearing set for December 16. In this ongoing case, one is able to see the interplay of legal strategy in the defense of such big celebrity cases.
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