Garth Brooks: Who is the country music giant accused of rape?

Country singer Garth Brooks has denied rape and assault allegations from a former hair and makeup artist after a lawsuit alleged he attacked her at a hotel during a business trip in 2019.

The anonymous accuser, referred to in the complaint as “Jane Roe,” also alleged that Brooks repeatedly groped her throughout 2019 and made sexually explicit comments while she did his hair or makeup.

In the lawsuit, she alleged that the Grammy-winning singer exposed himself to her on many occasions and told her about his sexual fantasies.

She said that financial difficulties forced her to continue working for him, which she said he knew and took advantage of.

In a statement, Brooks, 62, called the allegations “lies” and said he was “incapable” of committing the behavior he was accused of.

“I trust the system, I'm not afraid of the truth and I'm not the man they made me out to be,” he said.

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One of the biggest country stars of the '90s, Brooks continues to sell millions of records and sell out shows across the United States.

He was born Troyal Garth Brooks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1962, the youngest child of Troyal Raymond Brooks, an oil company draftsman, and his mother Colleen, also a singer. He was encouraged to sing at a young age and learned to play both the guitar and banjo. He began performing in local clubs and bars. Brooks was discovered by an entertainment lawyer who offered to produce his first demo; In 1987 he moved to Nashville.

His self-titled debut album was released in 1989 and featured singles including “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” his first No. 1 single on the Hot Country Songs chart, which earned him a supporting spot with the late country-pop artist Kenny Rogers.

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Brooks released his second album, No fencesin 1990, which made him one of the biggest new stars of the decade and included what is now his signature song, “Friends in Low Places.” No fences spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and also charted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Later that year, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

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As a country artist, he caused controversy in Nashville's notoriously conservative industry because of his public pro-LGBT+ stance. His 1993 song “We Shall Be Free,” which was boycotted by some country radio stations, included the lyrics: “If we're free to love whoever we choose.” The accompanying music video featured, among others, the lesbian Martina Navratilova and Lily Tomlin can be seen.

In a 1999 interview with George, He noted, “But when you're in love, you have to follow your heart and trust that God will explain to us why we sometimes fall in love with people of the same sex.” In 2023, he refused to boycott Bud Light since faced backlash over its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, and instead continued serving it at his Nashville bar, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk. Brooks credits his half-sister, musician Betsy Smittle, as an influence behind his support of same-sex marriage.

Brooks has been married twice, first to songwriter Sandy Mahl, with whom he has three daughters: Taylor, August and Allie. He also has a granddaughter, Karalynn, born to August and her partner Chance Michael Russell. Brooks and Mahl separated in 1999; Their divorce was finalized two years later. In 2005, he married country singer and cookbook author Trisha Yearwood.

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One of the strangest chapters of Brooks' career was undoubtedly his infamous alter ego, Chris Gaines, a brooding and sex-addicted alt-rocker who released a fake greatest hits record. Garth Brooks Presents…The Life of Chris Gaines, in 1999.

Meant to accompany the never-released mystery thriller The lambIn which Brooks was set to star, the album flopped with sales of just two million and was panned by critics who claimed the singer was suffering from “some serious identity issues”. He's reportedly refused to talk about it ever since — a 2019 Daily Beast article about the ill-fated record included a comment from his publicist who said, “Garth doesn't talk about Chris Gaines anymore.”

Brooks' stance on streaming has also made headlines over the years and has been embroiled in a number of royalty disputes. In 2014, he launched a competitor to iTunes, GhostTunes, after declining to sell his music on the platform. Two years later, he signed an exclusive deal with Amazon to offer his songs for streaming, justifying his logic by saying that the conglomerate could also sell physical copies of albums.

“The fact is, Amazon is a retailer, too,” he said at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville last year. “So you can sign your streaming contract, but that’s part of it [is] “Moving these physical entities so that the songwriters get paid… I'm still for the songwriters because I'm one of them!” he continued. “Everything I do for the songwriters, I do for myself.”

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In 2015, Brooks was at the top of the annual rankings Forbes List of the world's highest-paid country acts, with estimated earnings of $90 million (£68 million) last year. This year he toured for the first time in over a decade and sold more than 2.5 million tickets to arena shows in the United States. According to his official website, he remains the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history, with 20 Billboard No. 1 singles and 157 million records sold. He was nominated for 13 Grammy Awards and won twice, including for the title track of his third album, “1991's.” Ropin' the Wind.

His latest album, time traveler, was published last year and explores the country's history through its 10 titles.

In a statement addressing the allegations against him, Brooks said deadline through his representatives: “Over the past two months, I have been endlessly plagued with threats, lies and tragic stories about what my future would look like if I did not write a multi-million dollar check. It was like a loaded gun was being waved in my face.”

He continued: “Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money,” he continued. “In my opinion, this means that I am admitting to behavior that I am incapable of, ugly acts that no human being should ever do to another.”

In a statement to CNN, lawyers acting on behalf of his accuser said they were “confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions.”

“We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks,” the statement said. “The complaint filed today shows that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood, and the rap and rock and roll industries, but also in the world of country music.”

Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn at 800-656-HOPE (4673).