Garth Brooks Threatened By Tornadoes?

A lawsuit filed by a former business associate of Garth Brooks accuses the country star of being just the opposite in private of who he pretends to be for the general public and wants $450,000 in unpaid compensation.

Photo: AP Photo

Performing for children onstage at the "Teachers Rock" concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

The lawsuit, filed by Lisa Sanderson April 15 in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by Pollstar, seeks $450,000. It claims “Country music legend Garth Brooks would like his adoring fans to believe that he is a humble and highly principled ‘everyman,’ despite his phenomenal success in the music industry. In reality, however, Brooks is a paranoid, angry, deceitful and vindictive man who will turn against those close to him on a dime.”

The suit accuses Brooks and his company, Red Strokes Entertainment, of violation of Labor Code Section 201, breach of oral agreement, breach of implied good faith and fair dealing and fraud.

Brooks allegedly sabotaged his chances for movie roles because of his “unreasonable demands.” He turned down the role of a sniper in “Saving Private Ryan” because he did not want to share the limelight with Tom Hanks, Matt Damon and others, according to the lawsuit. He also allegedly turned down the role of a villain in the movie “Twister” because he apparently thought his role would be overshadowed by the tornado.

The lawsuit also includes a story about Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” where, through Sanderson, Brooks met with the lead writer to propose an idea for the script. The writer, Linda Woolverton, told Brooks she worked alone but he might be able to submit a song for the movie and be a producer. Instead, after the meeting, Brooks allegedly told Sanderson to tell the writer the deal was off unless he could co-write the script. And, the lawsuit claims, the deal disappeared.

Sanderson also claims Brooks once pitched an idea to Fox 2000 about a rock star (Chris Gaines) worth more dead than alive called “The Lamb,” and Fox executives loved it. Brooks allegedly told them the music he would provide was especially important because it invoked feelings in him from when his father died, and he cried openly in the meeting.

“Sanderson was thunderstruck and nearly fell out of her chair during the meeting,” the lawsuit says, “since she knew that Brooks’ father was alive and well in Oklahoma.”

When confronted, Brooks allegedly told her, “But don’t you think it made the pitch so much better?

Sanderson, who claims she is a “victim of one of Brooks’ paranoid vendettas,” also accuses the singer of skipping out on paying his debts and of having no qualms about using his money or influence to get what he wants.

“Brooks is willing to lie to avoid paying his debts, and he revels in using his vast wealth and influence to crush anyone who Brooks believes is standing in the way of him getting what he wants,” the lawsuit says.

A Red Strokes Entertainment representative said Brooks denies all allegations by Sanderson and he’ll continue to take steps to put an end to the case.