Will Smith Sued by Violinist in Shocking Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Big news in the entertainment world. Will Smith has just been officially sued. by a professional violinist who claims. he was the victim of sexual harassment. and retaliation. >> Getting fired or getting blamed or. shamed or threatened or anything like. that simply for reporting sexual. misconduct or safety threats at work is. not okay. We are going to go over the. new complaint, the allegations, the. potential evidence, whether this is. potentially a strong case, and we are. actually bringing on the attorney who.

has filed this lawsuit, and we're going. to do it all for you right now. Welcome. to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. All right, so we wouldn't be able to. bring you this episode if we didn't have. the incredible support from our sponsor, Morgan and Morgan. We're talking about. America's largest personal injury law. firm. We're talking about a firm with. over a thousand attorneys who have. recovered $25 billion for more than. 500,000 clients. I mean, in the past few. months alone, a client Florida received. $12 million when insurance offered just.

$350,000. Out in Pennsylvania, another. client was awarded $26 million. That is. 40 times the insurers's offer. And. Morgan and Morgan, they make it easy to. fight for what you deserve. You can even. start a claim from your phone. So, if. you're injured, you can start a claim at. forthepeople.com/lcsidebar. You can click the link below or you can. scan the QR code on screen. Okay, we've got another celebrity. lawsuit that has just come out. It is. making waves. This time, the person. getting sued is Will Smith. That's.

right, the 57-year-old actor, musician. He has been sued by a professional. violinist who appeared or was going to. appear, I should say, on Smith's tour. And this is a bombshell sexual. harassment and retaliation lawsuit. Now, when I say that, you may have an idea of. what the allegations are. Not quite. Got. to explain. I'm going to go over the. complaint. I'm going to go over the. allegations, the legal claims. We will. see if there is something here. potentially. And remember, these are. just allegations at this point. Smith. has a right to defend himself. Nothing.

has been proven in a court of law. He. has not been held liable. But we have to. lay out what's here in this complaint. So, first I should tell you who's. bringing this lawsuit. And that's. interesting. This is a lawsuit that was. filed out in California state court on. behalf of Brian King Joseph. Now, before. I get into what he alleges, first thing. to note, his attorney, so the one filing. this lawsuit on his behalf is Jonathan. Delshot. We just talked about him a few. days ago because Delshod brought those. lawsuits against actor and producer. Tyler Perry on behalf of two men who.

claim they were sexually assaulted by. Tyler Perry. We're talking about Mario. Rodriguez. That lawsuit that was just. filed only days ago. We broke down the. entire thing on a previous episode of. Sidebar. You can go check it out. But it. is interesting that now he is. representing another client suing a. major major major celebrity figure in. the entertainment industry. And as I. mentioned, we are going to be bringing. in Mr. Delshod in a minute to talk about. this and him filing this lawsuit on. behalf of Joseph. But back to Brian King. Joseph. Okay, first of all, you may know.

him because he apparently appeared on. season 13 of America's Got Talent, made. it to the top three. So, you might know. who he is. Now, the complaint starts off. by saying that if you don't know who he. is, he is a professional violinist who. was employed by the defendants in this. case in connection with a live music. tour. So, he acted as a musician and a. crew member. Now, I want to stop right. there. First, he's not only suing. Willard Carol Smith. Yes, that is Will. Smith's real name. Didn't know that. That's apparently his full name. But. also this management company that was.

associated with Will Smith, Trey Ball. Studios Management. And this is the most. important part. If you were wondering, well, is that part even true? Right? Was. there even a connection? Is he a. complete stranger? There is video that. Joseph posted on his Instagram back in. December of 2024 showing him on stage. playing the violin where Smith appears. to come on stage and introduces him. saying, "Brian King Joseph, ladies and. gentlemen." So, this was posted December. 15th, 2024. >> Brian Kingph, ladies and gentlemen.

Now, Joseph claims that around November. of 2024, he was contacted by Smith's. people to come out to the actor's house. for an introduction for a potential. recording opportunity. He apparently. goes there, plays the violin for Smith. Claims that Smith invited him to join. him at a performance in San Diego, and. then join his tour, the Based on a True. Story 2025 tour. and he claims he played. at that San Diego show, which by the. way, that video that I just mentioned.

seems to be from because Joseph in the. caption to that posts, "Still pinching. myself. Two soldout nights with the one. and only Will Smith at the Observatory. North Park, which is in San Diego." So. anyway, he claims that Smith wanted him. to become more involved in the. performances, that he was a valued. member of the team, that he wanted to. provide him more stage time, that he. even invited Joseph to play on Smith's. tracks. And this is where Joseph claims. that Smith said to him, quote, "You and. I have such a special connection that I.

don't have with anyone else." And. apparently more things to that effect. Keep that in mind. Now, this next part. is very important for the legal case. Okay, so Joseph claims that he was. provided information about the upcoming. global tour that he would be a part of. or seemingly would be a part of that. would last for several months. And. quote, "In reliance," important legal. phrase there, in reliance of that tour, Joseph allegedly told Smith's. representatives that he's going to be. spending all this money, thousands of.

dollars for more music equipment, medication, and other things that he's. going to need for the tour. Fast forward. March of 2025, this is the key month. So, Joseph claims that he joined Will. Smith for the Las Vegas part of the tour. and that all the hotel rooms for him and. the crew, they were booked by the. defendants, that no one besides the crew. or hotel staff had access to his room. And he claims that he left his bag in. the van that was moving the crew around. from place to place. And when he asked. management to get his bag at 300 p.m.,

management claims they couldn't find it. But then 2 hours later, they allegedly. came back with the bag. they found it. So then Joseph claims on the night of. March 20th, he goes back to his hotel. room and claims there was quote evidence. that someone had quote unlawfully been. in his room. He claims hotel security. checked it out, said there were no signs. of forced entry, meaning no one broke. in. That the only people who would have. been in there were supposedly Smith's. management team. And if you're. wondering, you know, how can he prove.

this? Well, Joseph claims this was. documented by phone calls between him. and hotel security. So, obviously, they. would subpoena the phone records through. the course of discovery, right, if this. case advances. Now, I'm going to read. you this next part from the complaint. verbatim because you may also be asking, well, how does he know that someone was. in his room? Quote, the evidence. included a handwritten note addressed to. plainif which read, "Brian, I'll be back. no later. 5:30 just us drawn heart stone.

F. Among the remaining belongings were. 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 Pliff. Plane. of fear that an unknown individual would. soon return to his room to engage in. sexual acts with plainif. Now, Joseph. claims that he immediately notified. security and Smith's team about what had. happened. Quote, obtained photo.

documentation, so not sure if that means. he took photos of the note and these. items because obviously that would be. very important for his case. That he. changed rooms and called the. non-emergency police line as well. So, if he can prove that all of that. happened and there are police and hotel. records to confirm that, that is going. to be very important. Now, I will say. real quick, okay, a couple of questions. Who is Stone F? Is there surveillance. footage from the hotel that can be. subpoenaed to see who may have entered. the room? I mean, this was supposedly. only last year. And from a legal point.

of view, could Smith's defense attorneys. argue that drawing a conclusion that. someone wanted to engage in sex acts. with Joseph is too far a leap based on. this evidence, right? How do you connect. that to Will Smith and his team? Exactly. I get it. They booked the. rooms, but how do you connect that back. to Smith? But I'm going to bring on. Joseph's attorney in a little bit, so. hopefully he can clarify a little bit. about this. Joseph claims the next day, so March 21st, he goes back to LA to. support the crew and the cast for a. pre-recorded show. However, he alleges.

that Tim Miller complaint doesn't really. explain who that is, but Tim Miller. talked to him and said, "It's too late. for you to come through the crew. entrance and that we'll just see. everyone. We'll see you in New Mexico. for the next part of the tour." But then. Joseph alleges a few days later, Miller. blames him for what happened in that Las. Vegas hotel room incident and that. Joseph was ultimately fired. Quote, "When Plainif requested for further. reasoning, Tim Miller, acting on behalf. of defendants, redirected the blame for. the termination onto Plainif, replying,

I don't know. You tell me because. everyone is telling me that what. happened to you is a lie. Nothing. happened and you made the whole thing. up. So tell me, why did you lie and make. this up?" Now, that raises a pretty. interesting series of questions, right? Did Miller actually say that to Joseph? And if so, was this a way to just, you. know, discredit Joseph? Or. alternatively, why did he really believe. that? Are there those refuting Joseph's. narrative? In the complaint, Joseph. alleges that he was shocked by this.

accusation from Miller, that he. submitted evidence and a timeline, but. quote, "Defendant never made any effort. to verify if the safety concern was true. or not." One call to the hotel security. would have been sufficient. Instead, defendant was intent on firing Plainif. because he reported the attempted sexual. assault. Miller also indicated in person. and via email that the tour was quote. moving in a different direction which. was part of the reason for Pliff's. termination. However, following. plaintiff's report and termination, defendant hired another violinist to.

assume the same position on the tour. This hiring strongly suggested that. defendants stated reason for the. termination was pretextual. And from. there the complaint reads, "Plaint of. further pleads on information and belief. that defendants's conduct goes beyond a. mere failure to protect an employees. safety or a dispute over a claim. Facts. strongly suggest that defendant Willard. Carol Smith II was deliberately grooming. and priming Mr. Joseph for further. sexual exploitation. The sequence of. events, Smith's prior statements to. Plainif, and the circumstances of the.

hotel intrusion all point to a pattern. of predatory behavior rather than an. isolated incident. Defendants's actions. caused pliff severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and. other damages. Plainif was also harmed. as a result of the stress of losing his. job. His health deteriorated causing. major psychological damage. Planiff. suffered from PTSD and other mental. illness as a result of the termination. Now, before I get into some early. thoughts that I have on this and the. actual legal claims and causes of. action, Joseph did apparently post the.

following video on Instagram just days. before this lawsuit was filed. >> Earlier this year, I was hired to be a. performer on a major major tour with. somebody who is huge in the industry. Uh, so I was excited, you know, proud of. myself for getting the opportunity. Um, unfortunately, some things happened and. I can't get into the details of exactly. what that was. Um, because it's already. a legal issue right now. Uh, but the. reason why I'm speaking out about this.

is because getting fired or getting. blamed or shamed or threatened or. anything like that simply for reporting. sexual misconduct or safety threats at. work is not okay. So, he didn't really. get into who he was talking about or the. legal claims before the filing was made. public. Okay, before I get into the. legal claims, if this did happen to him. and he can prove it, and remember when. talking about a civil case, it's not a. criminal case, the burden of proof is. much lower at trial. It is upsetting,

okay? And you can see how much of a. negative effect this would have had on. him. However, I do have to ask based. just on the four corners of this. complaint, is this a bit speculative? you know, attaching this one bizarre. episode to Will Smith and a pattern of. predatory behavior. Is it too much of a. leap? Is there enough connective tissue. there? How can you suggest that Smith or. his team were part of this or were. responsible? Does there need to be more. proof of sexual exploitation here? What.

were the other alleged comments that. Smith made to Joseph over time? Is that. one posted comment in the complaint, is. that enough from Smith about a special. connection? Is that overtly sexual? Is. this just about an artistic connection? There's room there to debate. And while. of course a complaint is more bare bones. and claims can be further developed. during the course of discovery and when. information and evidence is exchanged, texts, phone records, email, surveillance footage, but is it too bare. bones right now? You wonder if Smith.

will try to move for what we call in the. law summary judgement on this. Basically, that there's no genuine issue. for either a judge or jury to decide. here. There's no legal claim. Not saying. it would be effective, not saying it. would work, but just reading the. allegations as laid out. Do they support. a case against Smith and this management. company? Maybe, maybe not. But maybe I'm. a little overly critical. We're going to. bring on Joseph's attorney in a little. bit. Clarify this position. So stay. tuned for that. Let me go through this. Okay, these are the causes of action. So. the first cause of action or claim is.

for retaliation violation of California. law. Basically, the argument is it is. illegal for an employer to fire or. discriminate against an employee who. reports on being sexually harassed. Now, again, Joseph will have to establish. that he engaged in protected activity, namely properly reporting sexual. harassment and that this firing was due. to that reporting. Again, Smith, I would. imagine, would argue he didn't fire him. because he reported sexual harassment. Maybe he was fired for a different. reason. that we fired him because, you. know, maybe we legitimately believed he.

made it up or we fired him because we. didn't think that he was good anymore. Right? The conversation that Joseph had. with Miller, that's Joseph's allegations. of that story. What would Miller say. happened during that conversation? The. timing of the alleged firing and the. alleged incident is an issue for Smith, right? It's an issue for his team, though. That proximity very close in. time could be difficult. And if they. didn't properly investigate Joseph's, let's say there are legitimate claims, that could be an issue for Will Smith. The next claim is also for retaliation,

but it's under the labor code. So, it's. similar, but the argument is is that. it's illegal for an employer to. retaliate against an employee for. revealing information that the employee. reasonably believes violates state or. federal law. Again, the idea of. protected activity. Same thoughts as. above. The third cause also similar. It's retaliatory termination and. violation of public policy. So it's not. based on a statute per se, but more. California case law that it has been. California law to stop retaliation. against employees who complain about.

workplace health and safety conditions. So it seems to be a broader claim. I did. a quick look on this. It appears to be a. viable separate cause of action in. California. But again, you need that. connectivity, right? That he was fired. for reporting what he claims was a. trespass into his hotel room. protected. activity. And again, this will be very. fact-specific about what happened in. that room, how he reported, what Miller. allegedly said, what Smith and. management, what they allegedly knew. about this. The fourth claim is for. what's known as a Bane Act violation, the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act. So, it.

provides someone a right to sue if they. believe their rights under the. Constitution or California law have been. interfered with. Here, the claim is is. that Joseph had a right to report safety. hazards and not be retaliated against. The rights he claims are protected by. California labor law and the state. constitution, a guarantee of personal. safety and security. This is a notable. section. Quote, "Following these. protected actions, defendants through. their agents and representatives engaged. in threats, intimidation, and/or. coercion by abruptly terminating. plaintiff's employment, falsely stating.

they were moving in a different. direction and replacing him with another. violinist." Again, fair to allege, but. is what Miller allegedly did and the. subsequent alleged termination, threats, intimidation, coercion, my opinion. I. don't I could be wrong. I think that. needs to be fleshed out a little bit. more, but we're in the early stages. Fifth cause of action, Ralph Act. violation. So, this is the Ralph Civil. Rights Act of 1976. It protects people. from violence or threats because of sex. or sexual orientation. And the claim. here is the alleged intrusion into his.

hotel room was a violent act or a threat. or intimidation of a sexual nature. Quote, "The circumstances, including the. personal nature of the items left. behind, the note addressed to Plainif. and prior statements by Smith to Plainif. such as you and I have such a special. connection support the inference that. Plainif believe that the substantial. motivating reason for the unlawful entry. and related conduct was Pliff's sex and. or sexual orientation." again goes to. the idea of is that alleged statement. from Smith overtly sexual and enough to.

establish that Joseph had a reasonably. based belief and inference that he was. fired and retaliated against because of. sex and sexual orientation. Six, we have. sexual harassment in violation of the. California Fair Employment and Housing. Act, which essentially protects. employees from harassment or. discrimination. The actual excerpt from. the code says it makes it illegal for an. employer or any other person because of. sex to harass an employee. Further. states, an employer may also be. responsible for the acts of non. employees with respect to harassment of.

employees. And here Joseph claims that. he was employed by the defendants. He. was working out of California for. preparing for the tour. That's why, by. the way, it's California law violation, California jurisdiction that someone. broke into his hotel room while on tour. for the defendant. So, we're talking. about a course of employment. And there. was allegedly a note that was left with. the intent to engage in sex acts. According to him, a note that was left. in a hotel room that was assigned and. arranged for by the defendants. They. allegedly didn't do anything about it. after Joseph reported on it and he was.

fired for it. Now, throughout the. complaint, Joseph discusses the harm. that he allegedly suffered and the. damages that he believes he's entitled. to. So allegedly severe emotional. distress, fear of his safety, an. economic loss, PTSD, damage to his. reputation, claims that he's entitled to. a wide array of economic damages. And I. will say this, the harm suffered could. be the strongest claim because if he can. properly allege everything above, right, and that he was fired for reporting a. legitimate workplace safety issue, then.

it may be an easier road to prove how he. suffered financially and people calling. him a liar and that he reaches this. opportunity and for it to be taken away. in this fashion probably will require. him to testify. But just initial. thoughts on that. Now, at the time of. this recording, I haven't been able to. see a statement that was released on. Will Smith's part of his. representatives. However, according to. People magazine, Smith's attorney, Alan. B. Grodsky, said, quote, "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." Now, I will. also say this. This lawsuit comes at a. precarious time for the actor. Right. after the fallout from the Oscars, Chris's Rock travesty, him reportedly. trying to do these collaborations with. influencers online. You do wonder if his. side will say, you know what, Joseph. launches this lawsuit out of all times. right now. There's a strong chance that.

he'll accuse Joseph of instituting this. lawsuit at a time when Will Smith's. career reputation may have taken a bit. of a hit. So, it's like piling on. I. mean, on top of this, remember this. lawsuit comes in the wake of Will. Smith's wife, Jada Pinket Smith, being. sued in a $3 million lawsuit by her. former associate who alleges that she. threatened him and demanded he sign an. NDA. So, the timing here is very. important. It always will go to issues. of credibility. Let's see how it plays. out. Okay, so now I want to break this. down a little bit further with the.

attorney who is representing Mr. Joseph. and who has filed this lawsuit on his. behalf, Jonathan Delshad. Thank you so. much for taking the time. Really, really. appreciate it. Um, my first question is. why file this lawsuit right now, right? Right before uh January 2026. Was it. strategic to file uh at this time? >> You know, it's not a strategic move on. this case. The truth is uh it's just I. had a little bit of extra time during.

the end of the year. It's quiet in the. office. I'm able to get a lot of more. work done without people interrupting me. here and there. So, um, no, I mean, we've we've been, um, working on this. case for quite a while, and it's not a. strategic it wasn't a strategic decision. to do it towards the end of the year, but, um, it was more a function of when. I had the the mental capacity to finish. it out, get it done, get it ready, and. get it filed. >> Gotcha. How's your client doing? Uh, by. the way, I mentioned before um that. there was a video that he released uh.

before the lawsuit was filed, and then. afterwards, there was an Instagram story. where he was talking about the support. uh that he has received. So, in the wake. of filing this lawsuit and it being. publicized and it's been in the news. cycle now for like 24 hours, um, how's. he doing? >> Yeah, you know, I've spoken to him and. I, you know, without getting into too. much uh, uh, client attorney client. communication, you know, he's he is very. he's he is very thankful for support. that he's getting. It's a lot. You know, this story has caught the attention of a.

lot of media and a lot of people are. talking about this and he's getting a. lot of messages and people are asking. him to come on their shows and talk. about the case and talk about things. that are going on. And right now, you. know, I've been counseling him just to. to sit tight. Let's just let things kind. of blow over. And if at a later time he. wants to, he can. But, you know, it's. just it's a lot right now and a lot of. people are are emailing him. But he is. very thankful for the amount of support. that he's getting. It's a tough thing to. go through. You know, somebody like him, although he has been in America's Got. Talent, he has had some fame, putting.

yourself out against somebody the likes. of Will Smith, is not an easy thing to. do. And so, it takes a lot of courage. and it takes a lot it takes a lot of um. guts to do what he did. And he felt it. was the right move to do. And and um. and I think it is as well. >> No, that's 100% true. And you and I both. know from a legal perspective to make a. very public case and a very public claim. against a highprofile celebrity when. there are avenues in the law where.

someone could file a lawsuit uh. anonymously. I'm not saying that's what. your client wanted to do or not, but. sometimes there's an avenue. Um you know. that that that's goes to a clear issue. of credibility and it goes to a clear. issue of of why do this. I did have a. couple of questions for you as I was. breaking it down the lawsuit and I was. hoping you could clarify them. So, obviously a part of this lawsuit is. narrative of this goes to trial is going. to be understanding what happened in. that hotel room. The part that I'm. struggling with and I'm trying to.

understand is how you connect it back to. Will Smith. So, on one hand, I. understand that it was, you know, the. defendants, right? Him and this. management company together that were. part of booking the rooms for this tour. But the idea of that what he your client. claims he found in that room was a form. of sexual harassment that was tied back. to Will Smith because of a comment that. he made or maybe even a series of. comments even though it seems like there. was only one that was listed. Um and. that he you know that he was fired.

because of that. I I I think that's I'm. struggling understanding the connective. tissue back to Will Smith if you could. explain it to me. >> Sure. And I don't want I don't want to. get ahead of my skis here because you. know again we haven't done discovery. We. don't know what the facts are going to. bear out. But again the allegations here. so far I think the main allegations in. our complaint are that some type of. retaliation for reporting sexual. harassment. So that's the the main.

thrust of the arguments here. Again what. was written on the note that was. allegedly written on the note. Everything I'm going to say is allegedly. because it's it's all based off of a. complaint information belief at this. point in time. I've seen uh some of the. evidence. What was allegedly written on. that note and what was presented to him. and what Mr. Joseph, my client, reported. to his employer in my mind is a a clear. reporting of sexual harassment. And so. that's that's where we think that the. the case is the strongest and that that. reporting was then taken to and reviewed.

by management and then after that he was. just completely wiped off the tour. Uh, so I mean he was he was headlined in one. of the earlier um uh concerts that they. did with Will Smith and you know Will. Smith brought him on stage with fanfare. and people loved him and then all of a. sudden they're like we don't need a. violinist anymore and then they went. ahead and hired another violinist. >> Right. Does does your client have an. idea of who wrote that note? >> He doesn't. We've done some independent.

research into it and I don't want to. disclose that at this point in time. >> Totally fair. Is there anything you can. say whether or not the person who wrote. that note is somehow connected to Will. Smith? I know you're Can you say. anything about that? >> I can't say anything. I think that's. going to be something the discovery is. going to bear out. >> Okay. >> And and we're going to have to find out. later in this case. I mean, we we have. our we have our theories. We have our, you know, um beliefs and and I and I. think you're you're you're spot on, by. the way. That's the critical question.

and this in tying it back meaning can we. tie that back to Will Smith but I think. that there's a second option as well. that's just for the sexual harassment. part of it for the reporting you know. clearly it got back to Will Smith I mean. that that the reporting was reported to. the the tour manager the right-hand man. and. >> is that Tim Miller by the way is that to. okay. >> right and so so that you know that's. >> I assume you're not asking about that. about the retaliation for the reporting. I'm I'm assuming you're asking about did. he know that that was in there and and.

then the question becomes why is he. retaliating for reporting and that's. that's the critical question here. >> So so I have a made a question so let me. first start with the the Tim Miller part. because you you brought it up based on. that uh perceived alleged conversation. Couldn't an argument be and you know I. understand your argument would be they. didn't even properly investigate his. claims. They didn't even look into it. They should have spoken to at least. hotel security. That wasn't done. That. was the minimum that was required. I. would imagine based on the complaint,

Tim Miller would say either a um your. client was let go because they decided. to go in a different direction in terms. of a violinist or b that they believe. that he made all this up. Why? And if. that's if that's what's alleged in the. complaint, why would Tim Miller uh claim. that your client made up this whole Las. Vegas hotel room incident? >> Why would he claim? I have no idea why. he would make that claim. I mean, that's. something that we're going to have to. bear out in discovery, but that's that's. precisely what goes to this concept of.

pretext, right? When something just. doesn't make sense, when you're like. looking at a you know, typically when an. employee is hired to do a job and. they're doing it well, the employer is. happy with that employee and they want. to continue employing them, they're. making money off of them. And so at a. certain point if they if something. happens and they just for for weird. reasons let go of the employee, you got. to look back at the employer and say, "Is that the real reason they're doing. this or is there something else going on.

here?". >> And so that's kind of precisely what. we're going on with here is is that it. just doesn't seem plausible that you. would let somebody go for for reporting. this unless there was something bigger. going on. >> I guess the question is, do you know of. anybody that would support Tim Miller? like there were cast or crew who said, "Listen, yeah, I I thought Joseph was. was making this up." Like, do you know. of anybody that is going to come forward. and say that? Because that seems to be. based purely on that conversation that. Tim Miller was told by someone or or. several people that this wasn't true.

Unless you're saying this is completely. he doesn't have anybody. >> I mean, all Tim Miller would have had to. had to have done was call security at. the hotel and they would have pulled up. the cameras and you would see that it's. not that it was true. That's it. It was. very simple. So to say that it was being. made up, I think he's I I don't know if. that's the argument they're going to. make. Uh when we take Tim Miller's. deposition, I don't know if that's what. he's going to say or he's going to say. something else. Um but if that is what. he says, I mean, you know, why didn't. you just do a quick uh call to the.

security department? You know, these. Vegas hotels have very tight security. Very tight. >> I was going to ask you, did you have an. opportunity to review the surveillance. footage to see who may have entered your. client's room? Um, we know that there's surveillance. footage out there. >> Okay. Okay, that's fair. That's fair. I. I just want to go back to Will Smith for. a second. Um, and correct me if I'm. wrong, but there was one comment that. was listed in the complaint, and this is. an overarching claim of sexual.

harassment. To be clear, is your client. alleging that Will Smith ever sexually. harassed him or propositioned him in in. any way? I I don't think that's the that's not. the claim that's being made in our. complaint right now. >> 100%. But the the comment that Will. Smith allegedly made to him was put. there for a reason. No, it was that. comment that he allegedly made. And I. believe there was even reference to. other unidentified comments that would. give him rise to believe that.

>> whatever was left in his hotel room went. to this claim of sexual harassment in a. way. >> Right. I I think that that remains to be. seen. I'm not again I don't want to get. ahead of my skis on that that those are. facts that are going to come out in. discovery. Um and you're asking me to. kind of hypothesize on what what may. have happened in this case. And again, you know, as an attorney, our job is to. advocate for our clients to figure out. the facts. At this point, you know, the. only side of the story I know is from. what my client tells me.

>> Sure. >> Uh we want to do the discovery. We want. to get into the weeds of this case. We. want to figure out exactly what. happened, who was involved in this, and. uh you know, there's there's ways that. we can figure that stuff out. And slowly. by slowly as things come out, you know, we're happy to come back on and give you. updates and and let you know what we. found. But I don't want to get ahead of. my skis on this stuff. >> Totally fair. I Let me just ask you. this. Was there another. uh quoted comment that Will Smith. allegedly made to your client that you.

know about that you could have included. in the complaint? Because it was just. that one. And I think you there was. reference to it was there were other. comments that might have been made that. were similar to that. Um do you know if. there were other comments that Will. Smith allegedly made to your client in. that vein? >> You know, again, I'm not trying to be uh. cheeky or anything like that. I I. actually don't recall if my client told. me other things or okay, maybe I wasn't. focused on it. It it could be that that. I was made aware of other things and I. decided not to put them in there. I I. wasn't hyperfocused on that issue just. again cuz when we're dealing with.

complaints and and sometimes we we do. leave stuff out of complaints because we. want to prove them later. And in. California, you don't need to, you know, specifically plead every little fact. that's involved. So, at this point, I. don't recall why it was that I um maybe. only included that one statement. You. know, I wish I could give you a better. answer than that, but I don't want to. >> Totally fair. Totally fair. I just was. curious. I was just curious. What is. your client um hoping for at this. moment? is is his goal to um you know. what is his goal at the end of the day. by filing this lawsuit, making this.

public, potentially taking this to. trial. Um you know, there's multiple. causes of action when you're dealing. with these kinds of cause action. There. could be, you know, quite a hefty. damages award uh if this goes to a. trial. What What is he looking for at. this point? Look, you know, my client, like all clients that at the end of the. day, they're not the ones who brought. this. You know, it's always a lot of. times people ask a plaintiff's client, well, you brought this lawsuit. No, we. didn't. When the defendant acts in a. certain way that's contrary to the law,

the plaintiff has the right to bring a. lawsuit to find to get justice. It's a. better system than, you know, other. countries have where, you know, justice. is fought out in with weapons or other. things, right? This is the way that he. gets to vindicate his right to be free. from retaliation in the workplace or be. free from sexual harassment in the. workplace. These are uh the ways that he. gets to retal. So, you know, it wasn't. he that made this public. They acted in. a certain way towards him which caused. this lawsuit to happen. Now, what does. he want? Like all um clients, they want.

justice, right? They want whatever the. law thinks is fair for them. And so, in. this case, we didn't even put a dollar. amount dollar figure in the complaint. We want the jury to decide on their own. what they think that his damages were. And whatever his damages were, that's. what he's looking for. I mean, he's not. looking to hurt Will Smith or cause him. any more unnecessary pain or suffering. or anything like that, but at the end of. the day, he wants justice for what. happened to him. He had a career. trajectory that was looking really good.

when he got hired for this tour and. everything went sour as soon as he. reported this this issue. So, that's. kind of. you know, how do you make him whole? How. do you come up with that number? That's. something that a jury's really good at. doing after listening to the evidence. But, you know, we have a long ways to go. till we get there. >> And finally, before I let you go, um. there's a big part about this complaint. about the harm that your client. suffered, right? The financial harm, the. emotional distress, the PTSD.

what, if you can describe, what has life. been like for him um since his time on. the tour ended? >> It's it's kind of a hard thing for me to. um to pinpoint or describe, but I could. see it. There's, you know, sometimes. clients come to my office and some. clients, you know, they they've been. terminated. In my practice, 98% of the. people that call my office, I don't take. their case. You know, I'm a very very. selective attorney. I take very very few.

clients and um when they come to my. office and we talk about their case and. I you know I get to see certain emotions. depending on who they bring with them. you know sometimes people bring people. for support to the office like they'll. bring a friend they'll bring a mother a. brother or a spouse and you can kind of. ask them and talk to them and say you. know how has he been after this. >> right. >> this situation um and I'll tell you you. know there's a there's a range there's a. spectrum and some people they bounce. back really quickly you know they get. fired from a job, no problem. Two days.

later, they're on to another job and. they're they're feeling good. And some. people, you know, go through a deep, dark depression. Losing a job, when. somebody has a job, they think about. hope and they think about the future and. they think about how great life is. And. when that gets taken away from you, especially when it's taken away from you. in a way where you feel like it was. unfair, >> it leaves a big hole. And some people. have a harder time being resilient and. bouncing back from that. And some people. don't. And so a lot of people look at it. and they say, "Oh, you know, why doesn't. he just get back up and find another job.

or do something else and move on with. his life?" That's easier said than done. for some people, but we got to be. sensitive to some other people who who. have it a little bit harder. For Mr. Joseph, from what I've seen, he's on the. harder end of it. It really affected him. for quite a while. And so, obviously, as. time goes on, everything gets a little. bit easier. The the pain dulls, but um. from the spectrum of clients that I see. in my office, he was on the higher end, I would say. >> Well, listen, Mr. Dr. Dshot, thank you. for taking the time uh breaking it down. for us, coming on to appear. Uh we'd.

like to continue the conversation uh as. this case progresses, but I really. really appreciate it. Um and you uh. answering some of our questions about. this. Thank you. >> It's my pleasure. I appreciate it. Thank. you for having me. >> That's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so. much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should. get your podcasts. You can follow me on. X or Instagram. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll. speak to you next time. [Music].