Award-winning, legendary country music star Garth Brooks made headlines last week for the worst possible reason after one of his former employees accused him of wrongdoing. 

A bombshell report last week indicated that Brooks had been accused of sexual assault and battery by one of his former hair and makeup artists.

According to the Daily Caller, Brooks broke his silence on the matter and denied all of the accusations against him, essentially calling the situation nothing more than a shakedown for money.

Brooks went on to claim that he took legal action against the woman, called "Jane Roe" in court documents, several months ago before she filed her lawsuit against him.

What's going on?

The allegations hit the headlines in a serious and disturbing way, as they accused Brooks of rape. The country music star had never been accused publicly of such actions and is widely known as a good and decent person.

The Daily Caller noted:

Headlines exploded Thursday when Roe claimed that Brooks had assaulted her while employed as his hair stylist and makeup artist. She accused Brooks of raping her in a Los Angeles hotel room in 2019 while on a work-related trip, according to CNN.

The anonymous woman also accused the country music star of “other appalling sexual conduct," which Brooks also denied.

Brooks' statement on the matter was clear, "I am not the man they have painted me to be."

NEW: In a statement from his publicist, Garth Brooks maintains his innocence and claims he has been extorted and defamed by his accuser.

“I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be,” he says.

Full statement here. pic.twitter.com/Tu5p1O8cQp

— Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) October 4, 2024

He detailed how back in September, he filed a lawsuit, anonymously, against "Jane Roe" over reported extortion attempts.

The Daily Caller added:

Brooks confirmed he was the celebrity who filed those documents in Mississippi, according to Billboard.  The country music star told the outlet that Roe’s threats and accusations “felt like having a loaded gun waved in my face.”

Social media reacts

Given his large fan base and the fact that he's beloved for being one of the few non-toxic celebrities out there, fans came to his defense on social media.

"I'm having a hard time believing this accusation," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "I believe him. Twitter needs to stop the madness and let the courts do their work."