Country singer Garth Brooks is accused of rape in a new lawsuit

US country star Garth Brooks is accused of raping a makeup artist in her hotel room in a lawsuit filed in California on Thursday.

The woman, identified in the filing as Jane Roe, says the singer also repeatedly subjected her to unwanted sexual advances, including exposing himself and groping her, when they worked together in 2019.

The lawsuit is the latest brought against a high-profile entertainment industry figure after a series of lawsuits rocked television and film over the last decade, a reckoning that became known as the #MeToo movement.

It also comes after more than 100 people filed a lawsuit against rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging he sexually abused them, on top of the federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges he already faces.

“The lawsuit filed today shows that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood, and the rap and rock ‘n’ roll industries, but also in the world of country music,” the plaintiff’s attorneys said. Douglas Wigdor, Jeanne Christensen and Hayley Baker released a statement sent to AFP.

“We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions.”

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, says Brooks filed a preemptive action in Mississippi in September.

In that lawsuit, which he filed under a pseudonym, he sought an injunction prohibiting “extortionate behavior” and claimed the woman was seeking a multimillion-dollar payout.

“(Brooks’) attempts to silence our client by filing a preemptive action in Mississippi were nothing more than an act of desperation and an attempt at intimidation,” the California lawsuit says.

Jane Roe’s suit says she originally worked for Brooks’ wife, country singer Trisha Yearwood, in 1999, doing hair and makeup.

She began working for Brooks in 2017 and took on additional assignments in 2019.

According to the newspapers, the woman was at Brooks’ home when he entered the room with an erection and forced him to touch her while speaking lasciviously to her.

They also say the two traveled to Las Vegas together in May 2019, where she was shocked to find they shared a one-bedroom hotel suite.

“Suddenly Brooks appeared in the bedroom doorway, completely naked. He stood there tensing his muscles. “Ms. Roe immediately had a sick feeling in her stomach knowing that she was trapped in the room alone with Brooks, with no one to help her, and far away from Nashville,” the lawsuit states.

“Tragically, her worst fears were realized when, seconds later, he loomed over her, his 6-foot, 300-pound frame ready to pounce on Ms. Roe, who is less than 5 feet tall and weighs 100 pounds .

“As she panicked, he grabbed her hands and pulled her into the next room and onto the bed, where she could not escape his physical control.”

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, says Roe was so traumatized by the attack that she later considered suicide.

Brooks, 62, rose to national fame in the 1990s with hits like “Friends in Low Places” and “The Dance.”

In 2015, he surpassed Elvis Presley with the highest number of albums sold by a male artist.

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