Will Smith sued by tour violinist alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination

Will Smith has been sued by a violinist who performed on his recent tour, with allegations including sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation.

In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, musician Brian King Joseph names Smith and Treyball Studios Management as defendants, accusing Smith of “predatory behavior” and “deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation” during the Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour earlier this year.

According to the suit, Joseph was first hired by Smith in November 2024 to perform at a show in San Diego. He was later invited to join Smith’s 2025 tour and to play on an upcoming album. The filing claims that as their professional relationship developed, Smith made comments including, “you and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else,” along with other similar expressions.

Joseph, who previously appeared on America’s Got Talent, joined the first leg of the tour in March 2025 for a Las Vegas performance. The suit alleges that hotel rooms were booked for band and crew members, and that Joseph’s bag, containing his room key, went missing for several hours. Management later returned the bag, and the suit states that they were the “only individuals with access to [his] room.”

Joseph claims that when he returned to his room later that night, it had been “unlawfully” entered. Items allegedly left behind included wipes, a bottle of HIV medication bearing another individual’s name, and a note reading, “Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart), Stone F.” He interpreted the note as a warning that “an unknown individual would soon return to his room to engage in sexual acts” with him.

He reported the incident to hotel security, Smith’s representatives and a non-emergency police line. The suit alleges that days later he was terminated, with a management member suggesting he fabricated the incident. Joseph is seeking damages to be determined by a jury.