Jimmie Allen is striking back at the sexual assault allegations levelled at him this year.
Billboard reports the singer is countersuing the two women who filed lawsuits against him earlier this year. According to court documents filed at the Nashville federal court, Allen is denying the allegations and seeking unspecified monetary damages in his suit.
The first allegation came from a member of his former management team who accused the musician of repeatedly assaulting her, while the second suit comes from a woman who claims he assaulted her in a Las Vegas hotel room.
His attorneys claimed his former manager made “deliberate, intentional, malicious, and willful” statements to Variety who first broke the news.
“Throughout the Variety article, Jane Doe made several untruthful statements which painted Allen and Doe’s consensual affair as nonconsensual sexual misconduct,” his lawyers wrote. “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 the case of the second suit, the woman alleged she was unknowingly filmed by the singer, which his legal team denied. They asserted that she consented to the act and took his phone afterwards.
“By taking his camera phone without permission, Jane Doe 2 wrongfully exerted a distinct act of dominion over Allen’s personal property,” his lawyers wrote.
The lead attorney for the women stated they were prepared for the retaliation, according to a statement provided to the outlet.
“It is becoming increasingly common for perpetrators to countersue their victims, claiming defamation,” said Elizabeth Fegan, who previously represented alleged victims of Harvey Weinstein. “This is a concerning trend, one designed to convince victims that if they speak out, they will be the target of spurious litigation.”
Allen provided his own statement to Billboard, doubling down on his denial of the accusations.
“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,” Allen 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.”
The legal battle has seen the country singer dropped by his record label, as well as separated from his wife who is carrying their third child.
