A judge in Mississippi has thrown out the lawsuit that Garth Brooks filed against his former hairdresser, but that doesn’t mean the legal fight is over. In fact, it’s far from it. The more serious case—one involving claims of sexual assault—is still active in California, and it may move ahead soon.
On May 1, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate ruled that there was nothing left for the Mississippi court to decide. Brooks had filed the lawsuit to stop his former hairdresser, known in court papers as Jane Roe, from speaking publicly about the allegations. But after her legal team pushed back, the judge dismissed the case as “moot.” That means it no longer has any legal standing or issue to resolve.
The judge didn’t write a long explanation. He simply said Roe’s motion to dismiss was “moot,” which legal experts say is a sign that Brooks’ Mississippi lawsuit is now officially dead. Still, the situation is more complex than it seems at first glance.
Brooks filed that Mississippi lawsuit back in September 2024. He said Roe had tried to get money from him in exchange for keeping quiet about the accusations—claims he strongly denies. Brooks wanted to block her from going public, claiming she was trying to extort him. Roe’s legal team quickly responded, saying the Mississippi case was a way to intimidate her into silence.
Her lawyers argued that Brooks picked Mississippi for a reason. Unlike California, Mississippi doesn’t have strong laws to protect people from lawsuits meant to scare or silence them. These laws, called anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), are designed to stop powerful people from using the courts to shut others up.
So now that the Mississippi case is gone, many people are wondering: Is the legal fight over?
The answer is no. Not even close.
Roe’s own lawsuit against Brooks, the one where she accuses him of rape and sexual assault during a 2019 trip to Los Angeles, is still open in California. She filed that case in October 2024. Brooks asked to move it to federal court, which the judge allowed. In December 2024, the California judge, Michael W. Fitzgerald, put that case on hold while the Mississippi lawsuit was being reviewed.
Judge Fitzgerald said the California case would stay paused until Mississippi made its decision. Now that the Mississippi judge has ruled, there’s nothing stopping Roe’s lawsuit in California from moving forward again. There’s been no settlement, no agreement, and no resolution yet. Unless Brooks finds another way to delay it, he’ll have to answer the claims in court.
Both sides are standing firm. Brooks has said that the accusations are false and that Roe is trying to shake him down for money. In a past statement, he said her threats felt like someone “waving a loaded gun in my face.” He also said he only filed the Mississippi lawsuit anonymously because he was afraid of being defamed. Still, he insisted that he would not pay to admit to something he says he didn’t do.
Roe’s lawyers tell a different story. Her legal team includes Douglas Wigdor, a well-known attorney who has represented many sexual assault survivors. They say that Brooks is using legal tricks to slow things down and damage Roe’s reputation. They believe her story is real, and they argue that California is the right place for the case because that’s where the alleged assaults happened.
Just because the Mississippi case is over doesn’t mean Brooks has been cleared of the accusations. That case was about trying to control the situation and keep Roe from speaking out. Now that it’s been thrown out, the original case—the one about what actually happened—can finally continue.
According to reports from News9 and the Clarion Ledger, Roe’s California lawsuit includes charges of sexual assault, battery, and emotional distress. If Judge Fitzgerald lifts the stay on the case soon, which many expect him to do, the next steps in the legal process could begin as early as this summer.
That would mean court dates, testimony, and possibly a trial unless the two sides reach a private agreement beforehand. There is still a long way to go before this situation is resolved. But now that the Mississippi case is out of the way, there’s nothing blocking the California case from moving ahead.
This case has drawn attention not just because of Brooks’ fame, but also because of the legal strategies being used on both sides. Some see it as an example of how wealthy and well-known people can use the legal system to try to control the narrative. Others believe Brooks is simply trying to protect his name from what he says are false and damaging claims.
Whatever the truth may be, it’s clear that the full story hasn’t come out yet. The legal process will likely reveal more in the months ahead. Roe will have the chance to present her case in court, and Brooks will have the opportunity to respond.
For now, what’s important to remember is that the case is not over. It’s just getting started.
The judge’s dismissal in Mississippi might have ended one chapter of this story, but it opened the door for the next one. Roe’s lawsuit in California is where the main allegations are being examined, and unless something changes, that’s where this legal battle will continue to unfold.
