Garth Brooks took the stage hours after being accused of sexual assault and battery by a former hairstylist and makeup artist.
“If there was ever a night that I really needed this, TONIGHT was that night!” Brooks, 62, captioned an Instagram post shared in the early hours of Friday, October 4. “Thank you for my life!!!!! love, g.”
The photo showed Brooks on stage in front of a large crowd at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The concert was part of the country singer’s Garth Brooks/Plus ONE residency at the venue, which is still scheduled to continue through the end of the year into 2025.
News broke on Thursday, October 3 that a woman — referred to as “Jane Roe” — filed a lawsuit against Brooks, alleging that he raped her during a 2019 work trip. According to the filing, the alleged incident occurred when the woman was working with Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood.
She further claimed that Brooks would make “repeated remarks” about “having a threesome” with the accuser and Yearwood, 60. The accuser also alleged Brooks sent her various sexually explicit text messages.
Brooks initially denied the accusers claims in an anonymous complaint, which was filed in Mississippi last month.
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“Defendant’s allegations are not true,” the filing read, in part, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. “Defendant is well aware, however, of the substantial, irreparable damage such false allegations would do to Plaintiff’s well-earned reputation as a decent and caring person, along with the unavoidable damage to his family and the irreparable damage to his career and livelihood that would result if she made good on her threat to ‘publicly file’ her fabricated lawsuit.”
The singer further denied the “Jane Roe” allegations in a statement shared with Us on Thursday.
“For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars. It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face,” the statement read. “Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of — ugly acts no human should ever do to another.”
The singer continued: “We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides. I want to play music tonight. I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart these wonderful things are in question now. I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.”
