Country Singer Jimmie Allen Countersues Two Sexual Assault Accusers
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Country singer Jimmie Allen is countersuing two anonymous women who sued him for sexual assault.
The women, who have been identified as “Jane Doe,” sued Allen separately. Their allegations were unrelated to one another. In the first lawsuit against Allen, filed this past May, the multiplatinum singer was accused of raping his former day-to-day manager, who alleged she endured continuous assault and abuse over the course of 18 months while she was working on the musician’s team. In June, the Grammy-nominated singer was hit with another lawsuit from second woman who claimed she filed a police report after Allen secretly filmed her during sex in a Las Vegas hotel room.
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The singer filed two countersuits against both women, obtained by Variety, in Nashville federal court on Thursday.
Allen denied the allegations from his former manager, at the time, stating that the relationship was consensual. Now, he is countersuing, doubling down on his perspective that the interactions were all consensual, and claiming that he has not been able to work since he has been accused of sexual harassment, assault and rape.
“Throughout the relationship, sexual encounters were initiated by both Allen and [Jane Doe],” Allen’s suit says, stating that the relationship began in March 2021. “The relationship continued until the fall of 2022 when Allen ended the relationship to focus on repairing his relationship with his wife.”
Allen — who announced a separation from his pregnant wife weeks before he was accused of sexual abuse — said he has been seeking “professional help.”
In a statement, the singer says the “false allegations” have amplified “racism and harmful threats solely because I am a Black man in the country music industry.” He says the accusations have caused him to lose work, as well as his band and team who have suffered financial damage.
“As a result of numerous false allegations, I have engaged with a legal team to proceed with an appropriate course of action to protect my reputation and refute these claims that have caused severe damage to my family, mental health, and business,” Allen tells Variety in a statement. “I’ve taken a couple months before publicly responding to these claims, because I wanted to fix my family first. This situation has caused me great humiliation, and I felt it was necessary to seek professional help. For years, I have dealt with racism and harmful threats solely because I am a Black man in the country music industry, and this situation has only amplified that. As the son and brother of rape victims, and the father of daughters, these false claims are extremely hurtful to me and everyone around me.”
His statement continues, in part, “As the legal process runs its course, I look forward to the opportunity to clear my name. I am forever thankful for those who have stood by me and helped me share the truth. My team and I look forward to putting this behind us and getting back to the music.”
The first Jane Doe, who worked on Allen’s management team, came forward with her allegations in an interview in Variety, published in May.
Variety’s reporting is mentioned throughout Allen’s countersuit. Variety is not named as a defendant.
“Throughout the Variety Article,” Allen’s suit says, “Jane Doe made several untruthful statements which
painted Allen and Doe’s consensual affair as nonconsensual sexual misconduct… Additionally, Doe disparaged Allen throughout the Variety Article, calling him a ‘Predator,’ a ‘threat,’ and stating that her life has been ‘turned inside out’ because of him.”
Following Variety‘s reporting and the lawsuits against Allen, the country star was dropped by his label, agency, management and publicist.
“In the weeks following the Variety Article,” the countersuit says, “Allen lost lucrative endorsement deals,
had several performance contracts cancelled, and was ultimately dropped by his record label… Since the Variety Article, Allen has been unable to book musical performances, promotional appearances, or television appearances… Allen’s reputation and relationships within the entertainment industry have also
been severely damaged as a result Jane Doe’s statements in the Variety Article.”
In his countersuit against the second Jane Doe regarding the Las Vegas allegations, Allen admits to recording the woman on his phone during sex, but frames it as a “consensual sexual encounter in his hotel room.” The suit also states that she took his property without his permission.
“By taking his camera phone without permission, Jane Doe 2 wrongfully exerted a distinct act of dominion over Allen’s personal property,” the suit states, adding that the singer “recorded the encounter with Plaintiff’s express consent.”
In response to Allen’s countersuits, the attorney representing both women, Elizabeth Fegan of the firm FeganScott, says Allen is a “serial abuser.”
“We’ve reviewed the recent filings from Allen’s legal team and they’re what we’d expect — claims that all his encounters with Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 were consensual. We’re eager to show the court abundant evidence to the contrary, which we believe will prove that Jimmie Allen is a serial abuser and should be held accountable for his actions,” Fegan says in a statement to Variety. “It is becoming increasingly common for perpetrators to countersue their victims, claiming defamation. This is a concerning trend, one designed to convince victims that if they speak out, they will be the target of spurious litigation.”
Prior to the allegations, Allen had been one of the most promising performers in modern-day country music. Three of his first four singles went No. 1 at country radio, a rarity for a debuting artist in the format. He has been decorated with awards, including wins for best new artist at the CMA and ACM awards in 2021, and a nomination for best new artist at the Grammys in 2022. Allen, who was a contestant on “American Idol” in 2011, has been featured on the singing competition show as a celebrity performer and mentor. He also competed on the 30th season of “Dancing With the Stars.” Most recently, he tour with Carrie Underwood, and was a judge on Apple’s music competition show, “My Kind of Country,” executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves.
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