Will Smith is walking away with a significant win in the courtroom after a judge decided to throw out a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him.
The legal battle, which has been trailing the actor for some time, reached a turning point when the court determined that the claims brought by Brian King Joseph didn’t hold enough weight to move forward. According to reports from TMZ, the judge concluded that the accusations “fails to adequately allege conduct that is sufficiently severe or pervasive” to legally be considered harassment.
The case originated from Brian King Joseph, a violinist who worked on tour with Smith. Joseph’s lawsuit painted a bizarre and unsettling picture, alleging that someone broke into his hotel room and left behind a series of strange items and a message. The note reportedly said, “Brian, I’ll be back … just us,” and was signed “Stone F.” Along with the note, Joseph claimed he discovered “wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork belonging to a person unbeknownst to” him.
Joseph further alleged that Smith had been grooming him and that reporting the incident led to his wrongful firing.
Despite the heavy nature of the claims, the judge found that the evidence didn’t specifically tie Smith or his team to the room entry. A key detail in the dismissal involved Joseph’s room key, which had been left in a bag accessible to various crew members in a van. While the judge did give Joseph the green light to try and amend his complaint with more specific facts, Smith’s side remains adamant that the entire story is fabricated.
Smith’s lawyer, Allen B. Grodsky, previously addressed the situation by stating, “Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless. They are categorically denied, and we will use all legal means available to address these claims and to ensure that the truth is brought to light.”
