Country music star Jimmie Allen is being sued for assault and sexual abuse by a member of his former management team, Variety reported Thursday.
The woman is suing Allen, her former employer Wide Open Music and its founder Ash Bowers, according to Variety. She is described as being in her early twenties and reportedly previously worked as Allen’s day-to-day manager. She filed suit Thursday in Tennessee federal court. The woman is going by the name “Jane Doe” throughout the case, in which she alleges Allen raped her and repeatedly subjected her to sexual abuse and various forms of harassment and assault. She came forward with her allegations after watching Allen on an episode of “Ellen,” in which he said, “When you see things happening that shouldn’t, stand up for it,” speaking at the time about what inspired his new children’s book.
Jane Doe had reportedly been standing backstage when Allen made the statement. She claimed she’d been subjected to his abuse for 18 months at the time, according to Variety. Allen had allegedly assaulted her in the 24 hours prior to his appearance on “Ellen.”
“Allen allegedly assaulted this woman as they traveled together, groping her breasts on the plane, pushing his erect penis against her body in public and masturbating in front of her at the hotel where they were both staying,” according to Variety.
Allen purportedly raped the woman during a work trip to Los Angeles in March 2021 while he was shooting an episode of “American Idol.” Jane Doe alleged they went to a business dinner when the taping wrapped, after which she woke up naked in her hotel room in significant pain, bleeding vaginally and without any recollection of the prior night, Variety reported. The country singer was allegedly lying in bed with her and insisted she take the Plan B birth control pill.
A woman from Jimmie Allen’s management team alleges that the country singer raped her and repeatedly subjected her to sexual abuse and harassment over a period of 18 months. https://t.co/g3OYh8HBmf pic.twitter.com/vlfnPAFsqg
— Variety (@Variety) May 11, 2023
The woman claimed she lost her virginity without giving consent, according to Variety. “I was disconnected from my body, feeling a sense of panic,” she told the outlet, claiming Allen told her he’d been “thinking about this for so long.” She said the singer “held me in place. At that point, any physical will was just out the door. I was pretty much paralyzed.”
Allen insisted the pair had a consensual relationship in a statement to Variety. “It is deeply troubling and hurtful that someone I counted as one of my closest friends, colleagues and confidants would make allegations that have no truth to them whatsoever,” he told the outlet.
“I acknowledge that we had a sexual relationship — one that lasted for nearly two years. During that time, she never once accused me of any wrongdoing, and she spoke of our relationship and friendship as being something she wanted to continue indefinitely,” he continued. “Only after things ended between us, did she hire a lawyer to reach out and ask for money, which leads me to question her motives. The simple fact is, her accusations are not only false, but also extremely damaging. I’ve worked incredibly hard to build my career, and I intend to mount a vigorous defense to her claims and take all other legal action necessary to protect my reputation.” (RELATED: ‘That 70s Show’ Actor Back In Court For Second Rape Trial)
An attorney for Jane Doe denied Allen’s claim that the legal action is about money. “The only ask we made of Allen and his legal counsel was to meet to discuss Allen’s behavior and resolution of our client’s claims. At no time did our client make a monetary demand. The response was a hard no, and colored with threats that his team would take steps to publicly tarnish my client. My client had no choice but to be proactive in protecting herself by filing the complaint,” the attorney told Variety.
Jane Doe said she told Bowers about Allen’s alleged harassment including rape and sexual abuse, the outlet reported. Wide Open Music dropped Allen as a client and eliminated Jane Doe’s position, as well. The company also transitioned out of artist management at that time, Bowers told Variety.
Jane Doe argued Wide Open Music fired her out of retaliation, but Bowers pushed back. “[Jane Doe] was the day-to-day manager for Mr. Allen,” he told the outlet. “Once Wide Open Music no longer managed Mr. Allen, that role was gone.”
Variety also spoke to two sources and reviewed text messages between Jane Doe, Bowers and Allen that the outlet claims confirm parts of her story. (RELATED: Vince McMahon Reportedly Paid $12,000,000 To Silence Four Women)
Medical bills from a visit to the ER after alleged repeated sexual abuse by Allen also aligned with a trip to film another “American Idol” guest appearance in Hawaii, Variety reported. “The doctor advised Plaintiff to ‘run’ and get far away from Allen, documenting the vaginal trauma on her person,” the suit reads, according to the outlet.