A California judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Will Smith by a former touring violinist who alleged he was fired after reporting sexual harassment during Smith’s 2025 music tour.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Shultz ruled May 4 that violinist Brian King Joseph failed to provide sufficient legal grounds to support his claims against Smith and Treyball Studios Management, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Joseph filed the lawsuit Dec. 30, alleging he was wrongfully terminated from Smith’s “Based on a True Story” tour after reporting what he described as a disturbing incident at a Las Vegas hotel during the tour’s first leg.
According to the complaint, Joseph returned to his hotel room and discovered a handwritten note addressed to him alongside personal belongings that did not belong to him. The lawsuit stated the incident caused Joseph to fear “an unknown individual would soon return to his room to engage in sexual acts.”
Joseph said he reported the matter to hotel security and tour management. He alleged he was dismissed from the tour before the next leg and replaced by another violinist.
In his ruling, Shultz wrote that Joseph did not “adequately allege conduct that is sufficiently severe” or demonstrate a recurring pattern of harassment that would constitute an abusive work environment.
The judge concluded that none of Joseph’s claims survived the defendants’ legal challenge, known as a demurrer, filed by Smith and Treyball Studios Management.
