Garth Brooks has filed a request to move his complaint against his former makeup artist and hairstylist to federal court after he was accused of sexual assault and battery.
The country music singer, 62, filed documents on November 1 asking that the lawsuit be moved from the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles to the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
According to documents obtained by E! News, Garth claims that the lawsuit "Jane Roe" filed against him falls within the federal court regulations because the accuser asked for damages exceeding $75,000.
Legal expert Tre Lovell explained to Entertainment Tonight that the "advantages" of Garth having the case moved to federal court include a "quicker trial date", adding that federal judges may be more "amenable to dismissing a case".
Tre also claimed that Garth may be eligible to have the case moved because he is from Tennessee and his accuser is from Mississippi, which would mean a "broader jury pool" after Garth cited the "diversity of citizenship jurisdiction" in his request.
"Los Angeles tends to be more of a minority blue-collar jury pool," he said, implying it would be more favorable to Roe.
© Getty Images"In federal court, you have a broader jury pool, and a broader jury pool, I think, would help Garth as well in this case," Tre added
Last month, Garth publicly named his accuser in a new lawsuit he filed with the District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi Northern Division after claiming her attorneys "disclosed" his identity to the press.
© MediaPunch/ShutterstockThe woman's legal team responded to him releasing her name, sharing a statement which read: "Garth Brooks just revealed his true self. Out of spite and to punish, he publicly named a rape victim.
"With no legal justification, Brooks outed her because he thinks the laws don't apply to him. On behalf of our client, we will be moving for maximum sanctions against him immediately."
© Getty ImagesGarth is suing "Jane Roe" for compensatory and punitive damages, according to court documents obtained by The Post.
He reportedly wants "compensatory damages" caused by his accuser's "intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy."
He also alleges that his accuser "devised a malicious scheme to blackmail" him into paying her "millions of dollars" after he "rejected her request for salaried employment and medical benefits."
© Getty ImagesGarth also claimed that she "threatened" to “publicly disclose false claims" about him that would "imperil his business and reputation."
The "Friends in Low Places" singer is being sued for rape, sexual assault, and battery.
© Getty ImagesThe complaint, which was filed in a state court in California on October 3, contains allegations that Garth raped his accuser, undressed in her presence, exposed his genitals and buttocks, and openly spoke about sex and sexual fantasies in several incidents in 2019.
He has denied all allegations, saying in a statement last month: "I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be."
