Violinist Brian King Joseph has sued Will Smith and his production company, alleging wrongful termination, retaliation, and sexual harassment stemming from his work on Smith’s 2025 “Based on a True Story” tour.

Joseph alleges he discovered evidence of a “sexual threat of violence” left in his hotel room during the tour and claims Smith engaged in conduct meant to “groom and prime” him for sexual exploitation after personally inviting him to join the production, according to the lawsuit cited by People. The complaint was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Smith and Treyball Studios Management Inc. (RELATED: Russell Brand Faces New Rape And Sexual Assault Charges, Police Say)

The lawsuit describes what it calls a “traumatic series of events” in March 2025 while Smith’s tour was in Las Vegas.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – JUNE 1: Will Smith during the red carpet for the movie ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ at Cinepolis Parque Toreo on June 1, 2024 in Naucalpan de Juarez, Mexico. (Photo by Angel Delgado/Getty Images)

Joseph said someone entered his hotel room without signs of forced entry and left behind a handwritten note reading, “Brian, I’ll be back… just us,” accompanied by a drawn heart and signed “Stone F.”

He also reported finding items he said did not belong to him, including wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, an earring, hospital discharge paperwork, and a bottle of HIV medication bearing another person’s name, according to People. Joseph said the incident left him fearing that an “unknown individual would soon return to his room to engage in sexual acts” with him.

INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 14: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Will Smith performs at the Coachella Stage during the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 14, 2024 in Indio, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Coachella)

The lawsuit says Joseph reported the incident to hotel staff, a non-emergency police line, and Smith’s management team, but claims he was later “shamed” by the group and informed he was being terminated.

Joseph alleges the firing caused “severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and other damages,” including post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions, according to the filing cited by the outlet.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 17: Will Smith attends the photo call for Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride Or Die” at Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles on May 17, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Allen B. Grodsky, an attorney for Smith, denied the allegations in a statement to People on Thursday.

“Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless, and reckless,” Grodsky said. “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.”

Joseph competed on “America’s Got Talent” in 2018, finishing as a top-three finalist in season 13, and previously shared Instagram posts showing his involvement with Smith’s tour.