Will Smith Accused of Allegedly Grooming Musician

By: Michael Jacobs, Senior Editor | JRL CHARTS – Gay Entertainment News

LAS VEGAS, NV — (January 2, 2026) — Actor and Grammy-winning artist Will Smith is facing explosive new legal allegations after a former touring musician filed a lawsuit accusing him of “deliberately grooming” and later retaliating against him following a disturbing hotel room incident in Las Vegas.

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The lawsuit, filed this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, was brought by Brian King Joseph, a professional violinist who joined Smith’s touring band in December 2024 and later traveled with him on the tour supporting Smith’s album Based on a True Story.

According to the legal filing, Smith allegedly fostered a “special connection” with Joseph during private rehearsals and one-on-one time, telling him their relationship was unlike any he shared with other musicians. The lawsuit claims this behavior amounted to grooming intended to prepare Joseph for sexual exploitation.

The case centers on a March 20 incident at a Las Vegas hotel while the tour was in town. Joseph alleges that when he returned to his room around 11 p.m., it appeared someone had entered while he was away. Hotel security reportedly found no signs of forced entry but told Joseph that members of Smith’s management team were the only people with access to the room.

Inside, Joseph claims he discovered a series of alarming items, including:

Cleaning wipes
A beer bottle
An earring
A red backpack
HIV medication with another person’s name
Hospital discharge paperwork
And a handwritten note reading:
“Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us Stone F.”

The lawsuit states that Joseph feared an unknown person was scheduled to return to his room to engage in sexual activity with him.

After reporting the incident to hotel security, police, and representatives connected to Smith, Joseph claims he was blamed, accused of lying, and quickly removed from the tour.

The lawsuit quotes a representative associated with Smith as telling Joseph:

“Everyone is telling me that what happened to you is a lie, nothing happened, and you made the whole thing up. So tell me, why did you lie and make this up?”

Joseph was replaced by another violinist days later, despite being told the tour was simply “moving in a different direction.”

Smith and his management have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit as of this report. Should they, we will update accordingly.

The filing does not list specific financial damages but places the Oscar-winning entertainer at the center of a deeply troubling set of allegations involving power, control, and alleged sexual exploitation during a major concert tour.

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