Hollywood actor Will Smith has finally won the court order, which threw out a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him last year.
Sexual harassment lawsuit dismissed
As per Billboard, the lawsuit was filed by an electric violinist who performed on his ‘Based on a True Story’ tour.The court order, which was issued on Tuesday, May 5, granted Will Smith’s request to dismiss the claims filed by Brian King Joseph in December.
About the sexual harassment allegations
The violinist, who came on the third spot in America’s Got Talent in 2018, had alleged that he was “illegally fired” from the actor’s international tour after reporting that someone broke into his Las Vegas hotel room and left sexually suggestive materials, reported Billboard.A note was also found with the material, reading, “Brian, I’ll be back.”
Judge rules evidence not workplace sexual misconduct
Judge Michael Shultz noted that while the note was sexual in nature, its existence does not rise to the level of workplace sexual misconduct.The judge also said that it’s not reasonable for Joseph to assume without any evidence that Smith or any of his staffers are to blame for the supposed break-in.“The allegations do not support a severe and pervasive concerted pattern of harassment sufficient to create an abusive working environment,” the court order read.Furthermore, the court held that the deficiencies in the case not only reject Joseph’s sexual harassment claims but also the allegations of being wrongfully terminated and retaliation.
Will Smith accused of ‘predatory behaviour’
Brian King Joseph, in a lawsuit filed in California state court, had accused Will Smith of “predatory behaviour” and “deliberately grooming and priming” him for “sexual exploitation,” though he doesn’t cite a specific incident in which Smith was involved.At that time, responding to the lawsuit, Smith’s lawyer Allen Grodsky dismissed the allegations, calling them “false, baseless and reckless.”In a statement, Allen Grodsky, a lawyer for Smith, called the allegations “false, baseless and reckless.” He added, “They are categorically denied, and we will use all legal means available to address these claims and to ensure that the truth is brought to light.”
