Overview
- Violinist Brian King Joseph filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court on Dec. 30–31 naming Smith and Treyball Studios Management and requesting a jury trial.
- The suit alleges “predatory behavior,” claiming Smith groomed Joseph after first hiring him in late 2024 for performances tied to the Based on a True Story album and tour.
- Joseph describes a March 2025 Las Vegas hotel incident where items and a handwritten note addressed to him were found in his room, which he says had no signs of forced entry.
- The complaint states he reported the incident to hotel security, a non-emergency police line, and tour representatives, then was allegedly shamed by management, terminated, and quickly replaced.
- Attorney Allen B. Grodsky has called the allegations “false, baseless and reckless,” as media attention grows and Joseph references the situation in a recent social media video.