A professional violinist has sued actor Will Smith, alleging he engaged in sexual harassment and “grooming” behavior during their work relationship on his 2025 tour. Brian King Joseph, a Washington, D.C.-native who placed as a top-three finalist on America’s Got Talent Season 13 in 2018, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles just before the new year.
According to court documents obtained by media outlets, Joseph claims Smith deliberately “groomed and primed” him for “further sexual exploitation” starting after their first performance together in December 2024. The allegations intensified as Smith allegedly hired Joseph to join his “Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour.” Documents state that Smith repeatedly expressed an exclusive connection with Joseph, telling him, “You and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else.”
Joseph testified that their relationship grew closer after Smith offered him opportunities to play on tracks from the rapper’s upcoming album. By March 2025, during the Las Vegas leg of the tour, Joseph was provided a hotel room booked by Smith’s team, which he claims was accessible only to himself and hotel staff. The lawsuit details disturbing evidence found in the room: handwritten notes addressed to Joseph, wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, HIV medication with another person’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge papers for an unidentified individual.
Joseph reported the incident to hotel security, Smith’s management team, and local authorities after discovering unauthorized items in his room. The complaint states that following his report, tour management “shamed” Joseph and terminated him, later hiring a replacement violinist. Joseph alleges the incident caused “severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, PTSD, and other mental illness.”
The lawsuit follows another $3 million claim against Jada Pinkett Smith by former associate Bilaal Salaam, who alleges verbal threats from the actor’s wife. Joseph, who posted on Instagram in December 2024 about performing with Smith for the first time, is described as a violinist whose tour work began under Smith’s direct involvement.
