Garth Brooks' sexual assault case receives major update

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Garth Brooks is trying to change course in the sexual assault case against him.

Last month, an anonymous woman named “Jane Roe” filed a lawsuit in a California state court against Brooks, 62, accusing him of sexual assault and battery that she says took place in 1999. In 1999, she worked as a hairdresser and makeup artist for Brooks' wife, country singer Trisha Yearwood, before being hired by Brooks in 2017.

Entertainment tonight reported that Brooks' lawyers had requested that his case be moved from the California Supreme Court to federal court. Legal expert Tre Lovell told the media that the case could be moved to federal court because the singer-songwriter is from Tennessee, the plaintiff is from Mississippi and the amount she is suing for exceeds $75,000.

Lovell explained the benefits of moving the “Friends in Low Places” singer's case to federal court. “It's probably easier to seal files. You can usually get a quicker hearing date. Judges are more likely to dismiss a case. In Los Angeles, blue-collar juries tend to be a minority; “There is a broader jury in federal court. “I think a broader jury survey would also help Garth in this case,” Lovell explained.

The individual's lawsuit accuses Brooks of raping her in a Los Angeles hotel room during a business trip. In another case, the person says she was at Brooks' house for work and he got out of the shower naked and then forced her to touch him. The person also claimed that the Oklahoma native “repeatedly” made comments about wanting a threesome with Yearwood.

The person also recently published text messages between him and his former employer. According to court documents obtained by Us weeklythe country superstar may have “used more than one cell phone and sometimes used different 'names' and email addresses to communicate with Ms. Roe.” He would tell Ms. Roe in advance that he would be the one sending her messages, under a different name.

The two-time Grammy winner has vehemently denied the allegations against him, claiming the lawsuit is a way for individuals to extort him for money. In an October statement to NewsweekBrooks wrote: “For the past two months I have been harassed endlessly with threats, lies and tragic stories about my future if I did not write a multi-million dollar check with a loaded gun waved in my face.”

Brooks has been married to Yearwood (60) since 2005. He has three daughters from his previous marriage to Sandy Mahl: Taylor (32), Augusta (30) and Allie (28).