Garth Brooks denied rape allegations against him as he returned to his Las Vegas concert residency late Thursday in the wake of a sexual misconduct lawsuit against the country star.

In a statement to People magazine, the 62-year-old denied the allegations, in which a former employee accuses Brooks of rape and repeated unwanted sexual advances, including exposing himself and groping.

“I have been harassed endlessly with threats, lies and tragic stories about what my future would be if I did not write a multi-million dollar check,” Brooks said, adding that his team had filed extortion charges against the woman. and slander.

“It was like waving a loaded gun in my face,” he said. “I trust the system, I am not afraid of the truth, and I am not the man they have portrayed me to be.”

In an Instagram post about his concert, Brooks wrote, “If there was ever a night I really needed this, TONIGHT was that night!” next to an image of the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, where he will continue his residency until early 2025.

The lawsuit against Brooks is the latest filed against a music star after more than 100 people filed suit against rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs for subjecting them to sexual abuse, on top of federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. already confronted.

The lawsuit against Brooks, which seeks unspecified damages, alleges the plaintiff was so traumatized by an attack in May 2019 that she later considered suicide.

“Brooks appeared in the bedroom doorway, completely naked,” the suit describes the alleged assault.

“He stood there and flexed his muscles. (She) immediately felt sick to her stomach, knowing she was stuck in the room alone with Brooks, with no one to help.”

Brooks rose to international fame in the 1990s with hits such as ‘Friends in Low Places’ and ‘The Dance’.

In 2015, he topped Elvis Presley for the most albums sold by a male artist.

bur-mdo/bgs