Will Smith Faces Lawsuit Over Allegations of Wrongful Termination, Retaliation, and Sexual Harassment
Electric violinist Brian King Joseph has filed a lawsuit against Will Smith and his company, Treyball Studios Management Inc., alleging wrongful termination, retaliation, and sexual harassment. According to the lawsuit, Joseph was hired to perform on Smith’s 2025 Based on a True Story tour but was fired before the tour began in Europe and the U.K. Joseph claims that he was subjected to a series of inappropriate and threatening incidents, including a break-in at his hotel room, which he reported to hotel security and Smith’s representatives.
Electric violinist Brian King Joseph, seen performing at an awards show last October, is suing for wrongful termination, retaliation and sexual harassment.
(Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images for Media Access Awards)
Background and Allegations
Joseph and Smith allegedly struck up a professional relationship in November 2024, after which Joseph performed at two of Smith’s shows in San Diego and was invited to perform on several tracks for Smith’s “Based on a True Story” album. However, things took a turn when Joseph found evidence that someone had entered his room without his permission during a performance in Las Vegas. He reported the incident to hotel security and Smith’s representatives, which led to his termination from the tour.
Joseph alleges that the stress of losing the job caused his health to deteriorate and that he suffered PTSD and other mental illness after the termination. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and payment of attorney fees in an amount to be determined at trial.
Response from Will Smith’s Team
Smith’s attorney, Allen B. Grodsky, has denied the allegations, stating that “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.”
Joseph’s attorney, Jonathan J. Delshad, has experience in handling similar cases, having recently filed sexual assault civil suits against Tyler Perry on behalf of actors who say they were not hired for future work by the billionaire movie and TV producer after they rejected his alleged advances.
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