Violinist sues Will Smith and management company, claiming wrongful termination and sexual harassment

By Karina Tsui, Sandra Gonzalez, CNN

(CNN) — A violinist who performed on tour with Will Smith has filed a lawsuit against the actor-musician and a management company, accusing them of retaliation, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.

According to a complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County court, violinist Brian King Joseph was fired shortly after reporting to police an alleged intrusion into his hotel room, in which materials and a note addressed to him were left in his room while he was away.

CNN has reached out to Smith’s representatives and to a contact affiliated with Treyball Studios Management for comment.

Smith’s attorney has denied the allegations, according to a statement given to PEOPLE on Thursday.

“Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless,” attorney Allen B. Grodsky said, according to PEOPLE. “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.”

According to the suit, Joseph was hired in late 2024 for Smith’s “Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour” and other performances.

Joseph and Smith developed a close relationship leading up to and during the tour, the suit claims, with Smith telling Joseph at one point, “You and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else.”

The lawsuit centers on an incident in March 2025 in Las Vegas. The suit alleges someone had “unlawfully” entered Joseph’s hotel room and left wipes, a beer bottle, a backpack, a bottle of HIV medication and hospital discharge paperwork with another person’s name unknown to him, and a note that read: “Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart), Stone F.”

Fearing the unknown individual would return to “engage in sexual acts,” Joseph says he notified hotel security and Smith’s representatives, took photos of the items and requested a room change, according to the complaint. He also called a local police nonemergency line to report the incident.

Hotel security found no signs of forced entry into the room, according to the suit, and said the only individuals with access to his room would have been with the management team who booked the room.

According to the suit, instead of investigating, tour management later accused Joseph of fabricating the claims and terminated his employment. The lawsuit states he was told the tour was “moving in a different direction,” but another violinist was soon hired to fill his role.

Joseph believes Smith was involved in the decision to fire him, according to the suit, and claims Joseph was being “deliberately” groomed and primed “for further sexual exploitation.”

At the time of his termination, the suit claims the incident resulted in severe emotional distress, PTSD and economic loss.

Joseph shares video message hinting at legal case

Last week, the violinist posted a video on Instagram alluding to the incident on tour and the legal dispute.

“Earlier this year, I was hired to be a performer on a major, major tour with somebody who is huge in the industry. So I was excited, you know, proud of myself for getting the opportunity,” Joseph said. “Unfortunately, some things happened, and I can’t get into the details of exactly what that was, because it’s already a legal issue right now, but the reason why I’m speaking out about this is because getting fired or getting blamed or shamed or threatened or anything like that – simply for reporting sexual misconduct or safety threats at work – is not OK.”

Joseph captioned the video as an “Important PSA” and encouraged his followers to “stay safe out there and always stand up for your beliefs and what is right no matter what.”

“I know that there’s a lot of other people out there who have been afraid to speak up, and I understand, and if that’s you, I see you,” the violinist added in his video message.

“More updates to come soon.”

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CNN’s Dan Heching contributed to this report.