Rapper Will Smith has been sued by a tour violinist, who asserted sexual harassment and wrongful termination as the reasons behind the suit. As per Variety, the suit stated Smith had predatory behaviour and “deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation,” while Smith was on “Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour.”
The suit further states that Smith hired Joseph in November 2024 to perform in San Diego, and that Smith then invited Joseph to join the 2025 tour and to play on his upcoming album. Soon after their relationship grew closer, Will allegedly told Joseph, “you and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else,” as per Variety.
Joseph says that his hotel room was accessed wrongly during a tour stop in Las Vegas in March 2025. After his bag with his room key was missing for several hours – during which time only the management had access – he later came back to his room and saw that signs of someone entering without permission were there. Personal things were left behind, such as wipes, a bottle of HIV medication with another person’s name on it, and a note suggesting that someone was planning to come back to the room. Joseph saw this as a major violation of his privacy and security, thinking it indicated that an unidentified person intended to use his room for intercourse, and he took management to be the ones to blame because of their sole access.
Later, he notified the hotel security and the non-emergency police line. He claims just days later, someone from the management team shamed him for the incident, and later he was being terminated marking that Joseph made it all up.
