Professional violinist Brian King Joseph has filed a lawsuit against Will Smith and his company. The musician alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination linked to the entertainer’s recent world tour.
Violinist Brian King Joseph filed the complaint on December 30 in the Superior Court of California. The lawsuit names Smith, 57, and Treyball Studios Management, Inc. as defendants.
According to the filing, Smith invited Joseph to join the Based on a True Story: 2025 world tour in November 2024. The complaint alleges that Smith later engaged in conduct described as “grooming and priming” Joseph for further sexual exploitation. Notably, this claim has not been publicly addressed by Smith as of the publication date.
Will Smith is being sued by a tour violinist who alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination during his "Based on a True Story: 2025" Tour this past spring.
The musician, Brian King Joseph, names Smith and Treyball Studios Management as defendants and… pic.twitter.com/RPhlZxwppS
— Variety (@Variety) January 2, 2026The lawsuit details what it calls a “traumatic series of events” that allegedly occurred in March 2025 while the tour was in Las Vegas. Joseph asserts that, upon returning to his hotel room, he believed that someone had entered without signs of forced entry. He alleges that he discovered personal items that had been disturbed and a handwritten note. The note read, “Brian, I’ll be back… just us,” accompanied by a heart, and signed “Stone F.”
Will Smith sued for sexual harassment, accused of ‘deliberately grooming’ tour violinist https://t.co/Qc8Le1NuZY pic.twitter.com/99iRHbFSoa
— New York Post (@nypost) January 2, 2026According to the complaint, Joseph feared that an unknown individual would return to his room to engage in sexual acts. He reported the incident to hotel staff, a local non-emergency police line, and members of Smith’s management team.
Joseph alleges that instead of receiving support, a tour manager later shamed him. The manager informed him that he had been fired. The filing claims that another violinist was hired shortly afterwards to replace him on the tour.
The lawsuit states that the alleged incident and subsequent termination caused severe emotional distress, economic loss, and reputational harm. Joseph also claims to have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health impacts as a result of losing his job.
Read: Will Smith’s Album “Based on a True Story” Flops, Misses Billboard 200
Smith’s Based on a True Story tour ran from June to September 2025. This followed the release of his album earlier that year. The lawsuit comes weeks after separate legal matters involving Smith’s family drew public attention. Notably, the cases are unrelated.
As of now, neither Smith nor Treyball Studios Management has publicly responded to the allegations. The claims outlined in the lawsuit have not been tested in court.
