Will Smith Sued for Sexual Harassment and Wrongful Termination

In a legal storm that could have major implications for one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Will Smith is facing a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation brought by violinist Brian King Joseph, a professional musician who performed on Smith’s Based on a True Story: 2025 global tour.

According to court documents filed in California Superior Court at the end of December 2025, Joseph, a former America’s Got Talent finalist, claims that during the early part of the tour, an alarming incident occurred at his Las Vegas hotel room. The complaint alleges that someone entered the room without his consent and left behind a handwritten note addressed to him, personal items including wipes, a bottle of HIV medication with another person’s name on it, and hospital discharge paperwork. Joseph says the message and context suggested a sexual threat of violence, leaving him fearing an imminent assault.

Joseph says he reported the incident to hotel security, local police, and members of Smith’s tour management. Rather than being supported, he claims he was shamed by a member of the tour team and then terminated from the tour days later, a move he believes was retaliatory after raising safety and harassment concerns. Shortly after his removal, another violinist was brought in to replace him.

The lawsuit also includes serious allegations that Smith engaged in inappropriate conduct before the hotel incident, including comments that Joseph interpreted as “grooming” and “priming” him for exploitation. Smith’s management company, Treyball Studios Management, Inc., is also named in the suit.

Joseph’s filing seeks damages for emotional distress, PTSD, financial loss, reputational harm, and other harms he says resulted from both the alleged incident and his termination.

At the time of writing, neither Smith nor his representatives have issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit. This case follows other legal troubles surrounding members of the Smith family, and it will likely attract extensive media scrutiny as it progresses through the courts.