Sexual harassment lawsuit against Will Smith dismissed
Hollywood actor Will Smith has finally obtained a court order, which dropped the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him last year.
Rejecting the sexual harassment claim
According to Billboard, the lawsuit was filed by an electric violinist who performed on his “Based on a True Story” tour.The court’s order, issued on Tuesday, May 5, granted Will Smith’s request to dismiss claims brought by Brian King Joseph in December.
About allegations of sexual harassment
The violinist, who finished third on America’s Got Talent in 2018, claimed he was “illegally kicked” from the actor’s international tour after he reported that someone broke into his Las Vegas hotel room and left sexually suggestive material, Billboard reported.A note was also found with the substance saying: “Brian, I’ll be back.”
The judge rules on the evidence, not sexual misconduct in the workplace
Judge Michael Schultz noted that although the message was sexual in nature, its presence did not rise to the level of sexual misconduct in the workplace.The judge also said it was not reasonable for Joseph to assume without any evidence that Smith or any of his employees were responsible for the supposed break-in.“The allegations do not support a severe and pervasive pattern of harassment sufficient to create an abusive work environment,” the court order said.
Furthermore, the court found that the case’s deficiencies rebut not only Joseph’s claims of sexual harassment but also his claims of wrongful termination and retaliation.
Will Smith accused of ‘predatory behaviour’
Brian King Joseph, in a lawsuit filed in California state court, accused Will Smith of “predatory behavior” and “intentionally luring and grooming” him for “sexual exploitation,” though he did not cite a specific incident in which Smith was involved.At the time, in response to the lawsuit, Smith’s attorney, Allen Grodsky, denied the allegations, calling them “false, baseless, and reckless.”In a statement, Smith’s attorney, Allen Grodsky, called the allegations “false, baseless and reckless.” He added: “It is categorically rejected, and we will use all available legal means to address these allegations and ensure that the truth is brought to light.”
