Music star, Milton native Jimmie Allen files counterclaim against sexual assault accuser

Facing multiple sexual assault allegations, country music star and Milton native Jimmie Allen is filing a countersuit against one of his accusers.

In a July 13 filing in federal court in the Middle Tennessee District, Allen countersued a woman accusing him of recording a sexual encounter the two had without her consent.

"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 said in a statement released Thursday to the Tennessean.

"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 delt 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.

"These false allegations have caused me to lose a vast number of business and endorsement opportunities that I worked extremely hard for. These false allegations have also not only harmed me, but have caused severe financial damage to my band, my team, and their families.

"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 encounter

Allen said in countersuit he and a unnamed woman met on a flight to Nashville. They agreed to meet in Las Vegas for a bowling tournament from June 27 to July 2, 2022.

In his counterclaim, Allen said the two had a consensual sexual encounter in his hotel room after an event.

The encounter was recorded by Allen, who said in the claim the plaintiff did not deny consenting to being recorded.

When Allen fell asleep, the woman left and took his phone. She then demanded the encounter be deleted. She took the phone with her and mailed it to the Las Vegas Police Department.

In her claim, the woman alleged battery, assault and invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and neglect against Allen.

Allen's response

In his counter lawsuit, Allen argues the plaintiff's claim for assault, battery and invasion of privacy are not barred by the act of consent and denies the plaintiff suffered any medical or psychological damage as of a result of any actions alleged in the complaint.

Because the woman took Allen's phone, he claims her domain over his phone was not justified.

Allen is seeking a jury trial and compensatory damages against the woman, punitive damages for what he claims are intentional, malicious, fraudulent and reckless conduct.

Allen is facing multiple allegations of sexual assault.

In a separate claim, an unnamed plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed in May, claiming Allen used his power over her to sexually abuse and harass her while she was his day-to-day manager from 2020-2022.

The plaintiff says her boss, Wide Open Music founder Ash Bowers, knew about the alleged abuse and did not take any action to protect her.

One of the alleged incidents occurred after a March 2021 taping of an "American Idol" episode that Allen appeared in. The plaintiff said Allen raped her in the hotel room while she was incapacitated.

The plaintiff claimed Allen made it clear that her job depended on her staying silent.

The abuse, the woman said, continued until about September 2022, the plaintiff claims. She said she was terminated a month later.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jimmie Allen files counter lawsuit against sexual assault accuser