Tour violinist Brian King Joseph, best known for his electrifying run on “America’s Got Talent,” has just filed a bombshell lawsuit against the superstar actor and rapper, accusing Smith of sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination during the 2025 “Based on a True Story” tour. And the details? They read more like a psychological thriller than a backstage dispute.
According to the lawsuit, which Variety reviewed, Smith allegedly engaged in what Joseph describes as “predatory behavior” while grooming him for what he believed would lead to sexual exploitation.
Joseph claims that after being hired in late 2024 to perform at a San Diego show, he was quickly pulled into Smith’s orbit—booked for the spring tour and invited to collaborate on an upcoming album.
Along the way, Smith reportedly began to express unusually intimate sentiments, telling Joseph things like, “you and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else.” That’s not exactly tour bus banter.
But the story takes a darker turn in Las Vegas, during the first leg of the tour in March 2025. Joseph claims his hotel room key and bag went missing, only to be returned hours later by someone on the management team—who, he alleges, were the only ones with access to his room.
When he finally made it back inside, he says he found unsettling items: a bottle of HIV medication in someone else’s name, wipes, and a handwritten note signed “Stone F” with a drawn heart, saying they’d be back by 5:30. Joseph says he interpreted that as a chilling signal—someone planned to return to his room for sexual purposes.
He says he immediately notified hotel security, reached out to Smith’s team, and even called the police—only to be met with silence and, days later, retaliation.
According to the lawsuit, a management member accused him of fabricating the incident and abruptly terminated his involvement with the tour. Joseph claims the fallout left him with PTSD and financial hardship.
Smith’s camp has not responded publicly, but this lawsuit is now firmly in the spotlight, and it’s raising serious questions about what really went down behind the scenes of that tour.
Joseph is seeking damages for harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation—and wants the matter heard before a jury.
