Garth Brooks has publicly addressed a lawsuit involving sexual assault and battery that was anonymously filed last week by his former hair and makeup artist.

In court documents submitted on Tuesday and acquired by YSL News, Brooks revealed that he is the John Doe who filed a case in federal court in Mississippi on September 13, aiming to have a judge declare the sexual misconduct claims from a woman – referred to as Jane Roe – as false and to seek damages for emotional distress and defamation.

The accusations came to light when Roe filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming that the country music star raped her in a hotel room in Los Angeles in 2019. In the updated complaint from Tuesday, Brooks also identifies the woman who is accusing him of sexual assault.

The purpose of the anonymous lawsuit, which describes Brooks as “a celebrity and public figure residing in Tennessee,” was “to avoid the lasting harm to his reputation that he aims to prevent through this action,” according to the filing. Additionally, Brooks criticizes Roe’s legal team for revealing his name in her California lawsuit before the Mississippi court had decided whether he could continue with a pseudonym.

Roe’s attorneys managed to publicly name Brooks as the defendant in her sexual assault case through an October 3 CNN article, which they argue was released before her case was “available on a public docket.”

Brooks’ legal team pointed out that in an October 1 document, Roe’s attorneys acknowledged the court’s authority “to determine whether Mr. Doe can proceed under a pseudonym” and stated they would wait for the court’s response before continuing with her California action.

Jane Roe’s lawyers criticize Garth Brooks: ‘He publicly named a rape victim’

In a statement to YSL News on Tuesday, Roe’s lawyers – Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen, and Hayley Baker – condemned Brooks for revealing their client’s identity in his filings.

“Garth Brooks has shown his true colors. Out of revenge and to cause harm, he publicly named a rape victim,” the attorneys declared. “With no legal grounds, Brooks exposed her name because he believes he is above the law. We will be seeking maximum sanctions against him on behalf of our client immediately.”

Wigdor further criticized Brooks’s assertion of being extorted by Roe, claiming, “He is not a victim of a shakedown. In fact, he attempted to offer millions of dollars to prevent this from becoming public,” he stated to YSL News.

When asked for a comment regarding Roe’s legal team’s remarks, a representative for Brooks referred to the court filings from Tuesday as “self-explanatory.”

Garth Brooks asserts he’s ‘the victim of a shakedown’

Brooks, while denying all allegations from Roe, claims he is “the victim of a shakedown” that began four years ago.

In his revised complaint, Brooks describes Roe as an “independent contractor” who worked with him “for approximately fifteen years before she moved from Tennessee to Mississippi in May 2020.”

After her relocation, she allegedly began seeking financial help during tough times, and according to Brooks, he complied “out of loyalty.” Following this, she reportedly demanded further financial support, and when he refused to provide her with a salary and medical benefits, she made “false and outrageous claims of sexual misconduct from years prior,” Brooks claims.

Brooks first learned of Roe’s accusations when her lawyers sent a letter in July containing what he termed “fabricated allegations.” According to him, her legal team sought “millions of dollars” to avoid filing the lawsuit in what he describes as “blackmail correspondence.”

Due to “Roe’s readiness to allow her name to be used in this litigation” and her team publicly identifying Brooks in the California lawsuit, he filed an updated complaint without using any pseudonyms.

In their October 1 response to Brooks’ request to use a pseudonym, Roe’s lawyers stated that “Although Ms. Roe believes that her name deserves protection and that a California court should ultimately determine this matter, she is willing to proceed using her name here if this Court deems it necessary to deny Plaintiff’s request.”

On October 3, Brooks refuted Roe’s claims, stating: “I have no reason to be afraid of the truth, and I am not the person they have depicted me as.”

Garth Brooks addresses allegations during Facebook Live

Following the public revelation of the lawsuit against him, Brooks appeared to acknowledge the looming possibility of a lengthy legal dispute sparked by Roe’s allegations.

“A lot has occurred in the past two weeks. Let’s tackle the main issue, shall we?” Brooks remarked in a Facebook Live session titled “Inside Studio G” on October 7. “This situation is real and it’s happening.”

Indicating the potential duration of the legal matter, he mentioned: “I’ve been told it could stretch out for as long as two years. Therefore, my recommendation is to take a deep breath, get comfortable, and let’s navigate this journey together. Since there are limits to what we can disclose, this is all we can say.”

Ex-employee claims sexual abuse by Garth Brooks started in 2019

Roe’s lawsuit, spanning 27 pages, indicates that she began working for Brooks’ spouse, Trisha Yearwood, in 1999 as a hairstylist and makeup artist. Roe asserts that her employment for Yearwood continued over the years for other notable figures as well.

In her claims, Brooks became involved in 2017, with the alleged misconduct starting two years afterward.

The lawsuit recounts an incident wherein Roe was at Brooks’ residence to style his hair and makeup when she “looked up in shock as Brooks emerged from the shower, unclothed, with an erection and pointing his penis at Ms. Roe.” He is claimed to have taken her hands and “forced them onto his erect penis,” according to the suit.

“Brooks horrifically expressed that he had dreamt of this moment and wished for her to perform oral sex on him so that he could ‘finish all over her face,’ particularly while she was wearing her ‘glasses,'” the lawsuit claims.

Additionally, Roe alleges that she was sexually assaulted in May 2019 during their trip to Los Angeles for a Grammy tribute honoring R&B artist Sam Moore. She described an event where he is said to have “forcefully penetrated her” in a hotel room prior to her styling his hair and makeup for the event.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN provides assistance through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and at Hotline.RAINN.org, and for Spanish speakers at RAINN.org/es.