A former violinist and crew member for Will Smith is suing the actor and rapper, as well as his touring company, for wrongful termination and sexual harassment, claims Smith’s lawyer is denying.
Brian King Joseph, who toured with Smith in 2025, alleged in a complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court that he was wrongfully terminated and retaliated against after reporting workplace safety hazards.
According to the complaint, Joseph said he reported to Smith and the touring company that someone had “unlawfully” entered his Las Vegas hotel room during the tour and allegedly left a handwritten note among other items, including wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication bearing another person’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork for someone Joseph did not know.
The note allegedly read, “Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart), Stone F,” according to the complaint.
Will Smith performs live onstage during the “Based On A True Story” Summer Tour at Festhalle Frankfurt on July 18, 2025 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Joseph said he reported the matter to the hotel, a local non-emergency police line, and to Smith’s representatives, stating that he was afraid someone was going to return to his hotel room and try to have sex with him.
In the complaint, Joseph said a few days after notifying Smith’s team, he was terminated from his role with the tour and accused of making up the matter, and another violinist was hired to replace him on tour.
Joseph also accused Smith in the complaint of allegedly “deliberately grooming and priming [him] for further sexual exploitation,” suggesting “a pattern of predatory behavior.”
Joseph said in the complaint that he experienced PTSD and mental illness because of the termination.
Joseph is seeking a trial and compensatory damages, attorney’s fees and other relief as determined by a jury.
Allen B. Grodsky, an attorney for Smith, pushed back against Joseph’s claims in a statement to ABC News Thursday.
“Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless,” Grodsky stated. “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.”
Smith went on a global tour last year to support his “Based on a True Story” album, which was released in March 2025. Smith’s tour stopped in Las Vegas that same month.
“Based on a True Story” was Smith’s first full-length album in two decades.