LOS ANGELES — A violinist who performed on actor Will Smith’s 2025 concert tour filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Smith and his production company on Dec. 30, 2025, alleging he was fired after reporting a hotel room incident.
The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, claims the musician, Brian King Joseph, 35, discovered in March 2025 a note addressed to him in his Las Vegas hotel room, along with a backpack, a beer bottle, wipes, and a bottle of HIV medication. Joseph said he feared an unknown individual would return to the room to engage in sexual acts.
According to the suit, Joseph reported the incident and accompanying medical paperwork to hotel security and tour management. A few days later, the production company allegedly terminated his employment on the Based On A True Story tour. The suit says the firing caused “severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and other damages.”
Joseph, who finished third on a season of America’s Got Talent, auditioned at Smith’s home in November 2024 and was later invited to perform in concerts and contribute to an upcoming album. The lawsuit also references statements from Smith describing a “special connection” with Joseph and asserts that Smith engaged in “deliberate grooming” for sexual exploitation, though it does not detail specific actions.
Smith’s lawyer, Allen Grodsky, called the allegations “false, baseless and reckless” and said they would defend against the claims using all available legal means. Efforts to reach Treyball Studio Management, Smith’s production company, were unsuccessful.