Garth Brooks Declares 'Game On' as He Braces for a Potential Two-Year Showdown Amidst Explosive Sexual Assault Allegations

The country star was accused of sexual assault by a makeup artist and hair stylist who worked for him; Brooks denies all allegations and is preparing for potential legal proceedings.

In a video from his Facebook Live show Inside Studio G, shared on Monday, Oct. 7, the 62-year-old singer addressed the possibility of a two-year legal battle following the allegations against him.

"A lot’s happened in the last two weeks. Let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we?" Brooks began in the Oct. 7 video. “This thing is on; it’s gonna happen."

“People are telling me it could be up to two years. So my suggestion is, we all take a deep breath, just kinda settle in and let’s hold hands and take a trip together. Because it is something that we cannot talk about. That’s all we can say about it.”

Troyal Garth Brooks is an American country singer and songwriter.

Brooks then changed the subject to discuss his recent Habitat for Humanity trip with his wife, Trisha Yearwood, and his residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
This Facebook video and brief acknowledgment of the allegations came just days after a lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE was filed in California on Oct. 3 by a former hairstylist and makeup artist of Brooks, under the name "Jane Roe." Roe, who worked with Brooks for 15 years, accused him of inappropriate behavior starting in 2019 when she was at his home for a styling appointment.

Roe alleges that she encountered Brooks coming out of the shower naked with an erection, coercing her to touch him, and asking her to perform sexual acts, according to the complaint. She further alleges that she was raped by Brooks in the summer of 2019 while working for an event.

Following the alleged assault, she claimed in the complaint that "Brooks increased the frequency of saying his sexual fantasies about her aloud, along with physically groping her breasts while she was doing his hair and makeup."

While Roe worked for Brooks, she alleged in the complaint that she often encountered him "regularly changing his clothing" in front of her, "often purposefully" exposing himself. Brooks also allegedly shared his "sexual fantasies" with her and sent her "sexually explicit text messages."According to Brooks, the accuser sent him a "demand letter" ahead of filing her lawsuit, and he claims that Roe is attempting to extort him. In a complaint filed in Mississippi on Sept. 13, Brooks alleged that Roe had asked him for money when she faced "financial difficulties" after moving from Tennessee to Mississippi in 2020. The country star complied out of loyalty and friendship, but she continued to ask for more.

However, she allegedly increased her "demands for salaried employment and medical benefits." Brooks' complaint claims that she fabricated "false and outrageous allegations of sexual misconduct" in a "confidential demand letter" from Roe's attorneys in July, referencing other "celebrity sexual misconduct lawsuits featuring multi-million dollar jury awards."

Brooks stated in response to the allegations, saying that the accuser is looking to extort him.

"For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars," Brooks said in a statement to PEOPLE on Oct. 3. "It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face."

“Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of—ugly acts no human should ever do to another," the statement continued.

“We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides."

"I want to play music tonight," Brooks added. "I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart these wonderful things are in question now. I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be."

Following Brooks' statement, attorney Douglas H. Wigdor, representing the woman, said in a statement: "We are very confident in our case, and over time, the public will see his true character rather than his highly curated persona."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.