Will Smith landed a legal victory this week in court.
A California judge dismissed a civil lawsuit brought against the actor and rapper by a violinist in 2025, alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Musician Brian King Joseph filed the complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Dec. 30, after performing last year in Smith’s Based on a True Story Tour, as previously reported.
In the 15-page complaint, Joseph said he was subjected to a “traumatic series of events,” and fired after he made a formal complaint with Smith’s management team and contacted police.
But in a ruling on Tuesday May 5, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Shultz granted Smith’s request to dismiss the lawsuit citing a lack of legal basis, Billboard reported Thursday.
“The allegations do not support a severe and pervasive concerted pattern of harassment sufficient to create an abusive working environment,” Shultz said.
The judge did give Joseph a chance to resurrect the lawsuit by amending it within 30 days or else the complaint will be terminated.
The musician rose to prominence while competing on season 13 of America’s Got Talent in 2018, and made it to the top 3 on the competition series.
After going viral and working with other celebrities, he was hired to accompany Smith on tour.
The ruling against Joseph marked a significant win for Smith. The King Richard star has faced growing public scrutiny since he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Then his wife Jada Pinkett Smith released her memoir Worthy in 2023, revealing the two have been living “completely separate lives” for years, despite putting on a united front in public.
The lawsuit focused the media gaze back on the Oscar-winning actor as Joseph made salacious claims against him.
The musician said in the complaint an “unknown” person left a note in his hotel room writing, “Brian, I’ll be back… just us.”
The lawsuit said the person also left behind “wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork belonging to a person unbeknownst to” Joseph. The suit said the note was signed “Stone F.”
The violinist noted only a select group of people had access to his room, including hotel staff and members of Smith’s management team, who booked the room.
According to Joseph, he reported the incident to hotel security, a non-emergency police line, and Smith’s management staff.
The suit also alleged “Willard Carroll Smith II was deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation.”
The musician said a representative for Smith told him his claims were a “lie” and that he “made the whole thing up.” The violinist was subsequently fired.
The musician said the situation led to “severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm.” He included Treyball Studios Management in the lawsuit and sought unspecified damages.
Smith’s attorneys said in court papers Joseph’s claims were “untrue, inflammatory, legally baseless, and are nothing but an attempted money grab.”
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