Country music singer Jimmie Allen has filed countersuits against two women who accused him of sexual assault, Billboard reports. In May, an anonymous woman alleged in a lawsuit that Allen assaulted her multiple times while she was working as his manager. In June, another “Jane Doe†accused him of assaulting her in a hotel room, alleging that he ejaculated inside her despite her repeatedly telling him not to. She further alleged that he recorded their sexual encounter on his phone without her consent.
The singer — who has now been dropped by his publicist, label, and agency — has denied the allegations, claiming that he had a “consensual sexual relationship†with the first accuser. He admitted to having unprotected sex with the second accuser, but claimed that he did not ejaculate and that she consented to being recorded. According to documents filed in Nashville federal court on Thursday, he is now suing each accuser for unspecified monetary damages. Allen’s attorneys are accusing his former manager of defaming him by making “deliberate, intentional, malicious, and willful†statements to Variety in an article that broke the news of her lawsuit and included information beyond what was in her complaint. (According to Billboard, it is likely easier for Allen’s legal team to bring a defamation claim over the Variety piece than over statements in the lawsuit.) She is also being sued for invasion of privacy, inflicting emotional distress, and interference with business relations. Meanwhile, Allen’s attorneys are alleging that the second accuser illegally took his phone after their sexual encounter. She is specifically accused of “conversion,†which is a civil tort similar to theft. According to the lawsuit, Allen refused to give her his passcode because he had confidential information on his phone, instead offering to delete the video if she gave him his phone back. He claims that she never returned the phone.
In a statement to Billboard, Allen said that he took legal action to protect his reputation and refute the accusations against him. “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,†he said. “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.â€
Elizabeth Fegan, the lead attorney for Allen’s accusers, told Billboard that it is increasingly common for perpetrators to countersue victims in order to convince people not to speak out. She said in a statement that Allen’s legal response was expected, and that she and her team are “eager to show the court abundant evidence†that will “prove that Jimmie Allen is a serial abuser and should be held accountable for his actions.â€