By Blessing Nweke
A violinist has accused actor and rapper Will Smith of retaliation, claiming he was fired after reporting what he described as a disturbing hotel intrusion while on tour with the artist, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The plaintiff, Brian King Joseph, alleges that he was terminated days after reporting the incident to hotel security, police and Smith’s representatives. Smith, 57, and a management company associated with him are named as defendants in the suit, which does not specify the amount of damages sought. Representatives for Smith declined to comment.
According to the complaint, Joseph began performing with Smith in December 2024 and joined the tour for Smith’s most recent album, “Based on a True Story.” The suit alleges that Smith told Joseph they shared a “special connection” unlike any he had with others.
The lawsuit centers on an incident that allegedly occurred around March 20 while the tour was in Las Vegas. Joseph says he returned to his hotel room around 11 p.m. to find signs that someone had entered while he was away. Hotel security reportedly found no evidence of forced entry and determined that only members of Smith’s management team had access to the room during that time.
Joseph claims he discovered various items left behind, including wipes, a beer bottle, an earring, a red backpack, HIV medication bearing another person’s name, hospital discharge paperwork and a handwritten note that read, “Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us,” accompanied by a drawn heart and the name “Stone F.”
The complaint states that Joseph feared an unknown individual would return to his room to engage in sexual acts. After reporting the incident, Joseph alleges a representative for Smith accused him of lying and informed him he was being fired. The suit claims no effort was made to verify his safety concerns.
Joseph was subsequently replaced by another violinist, despite allegedly being told the tour was “moving in a different direction,” the complaint says.
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