Will Smith’s team has refuted the serious harassment allegations made by a tour violinist, describing them as “baseless and reckless”

The legal team of the “Bad Boys” star has criticized Brian King Joseph’s lawsuit, describing it as a deliberate falsehood in the wake of the Based On A True Story Global Tour.

The new year is beginning with a significant legal battle for Will Smith.

Following the surprising lawsuit filed by America’s Got Talent standout Brian King Joseph on December 30, 2025, which claims sexual harassment and a pattern of “grooming,” Smith’s team is now responding decisively.

On January 1, 2026, the actor’s attorney, Allen B. Grodsky, issued a resolute statement to PEOPLE, emphasizing that the Oscar winner intends to stand firm against these serious allegations.

Grodsky responded to the accusations made against Smith and his company, Treyball Studios Management, Inc. The attorney characterized the lawsuit, which outlines a troubling hotel room incident and allegations of retaliatory firing, as entirely fabricated. 

“The claims made by Mr. Joseph regarding my client are untrue, unfounded, and irresponsible.” We categorically deny these claims and will utilize all available legal avenues to address them and to ensure that the truth is revealed.

The lawsuit that prompted this reaction is undeniably dramatic. Joseph, 33, asserts that during the March 2025 stop of Smith’s Based on a True Story tour in Las Vegas, he returned to his room to discover indications of a “sexual threat of violence.”

Court documents reveal that the musician found a handwritten note from an individual named “Stone F,” which promised a private meeting, accompanied by an assortment of random items, including a beer bottle and HIV medication. Joseph claims that after he informed tour management of the alarming discovery, he was met with shame and subsequently terminated just days afterward, with another violinist taking his place.

In addition to the hotel incident, Joseph’s filing indicates that the 57-year-old superstar allegedly spent months “priming” him for exploitation, claiming to the musician that they had a “special connection” that Smith did not share with anyone else. On Christmas Day, Joseph shared an emotional Instagram video expressing his frustration over being blamed for reporting workplace misconduct, as he seeks damages for PTSD and lost wages.

Smith’s team has now officially labeled the claims as “reckless,” setting the stage for a high-profile battle in the Los Angeles Superior Court.