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Garth Brooks put his legal woes aside to perform a mini concert during the Monday, November 25, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The country music star, 62, sang for fans at the free outdoor event, where he performed an upbeat cover of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishin’ in the Dark.” After the set, he smiled and held out his arms amid loud applause, yelling “Nitty Gritty!”
Before Brooks’ performance, he sat down with host Jimmy Kimmel and shared his family’s holiday plans. He said that his wife, Trisha Yearwood, “does what we call a misfit Thanksgiving” and invites “a lot of people” whose “families are somewhere else. So they’re alone on Thanksgiving. She opens up her doors.”
He called Yearwood, 60, a “fantastic cook” and said that he’s not allowed in the kitchen while she’s there. “I can clean up,” he said. “That’s about all I can do. I don’t want to get in the way of perfection. This woman’s got it going.”
Brooks, sporting a casual black sweatshirt, jeans and hat, also spoke about his Las Vegas residency, the first time he heard one of his songs on the radio — it was “Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old)” in 1989 — and the time he built a wooden bridge with his three daughters Taylor, 32, August, 30, and Allie, 28, whom he shares with ex-wife Sandy Mahl.
His musical performance almost didn’t happen, however, after ticketing company 1iota began promoting the concert via social media earlier this month.
“Garth Brooks is bringing his magic to @jimmykimmellive with an exclusive outdoor mini-concert!” 1iota wrote via Instagram on November 15. “Be there as country music’s legend lights up the stage. Request your FREE tickets via the link in our bio!”
However, days later, fans who had secured tickets to the event received an email telling them it had been called off.
“Unfortunately, the Garth Brooks outdoor mini-concert at Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, November 25, has been canceled and will no longer proceed as scheduled. Television production decisions can fluctuate due to a variety of reasons,” the company said in a statement. “We hate delivering disappointing news, and we hope you will join us in the future for another exciting fan experience. Unfortunately, in the world of television, these things sometimes happen. This event will not be rescheduled.”
Then, in a surprising turn of events, ABC confirmed on Friday, November 22, that Brooks’ concert was back on.
Some speculated that the back and forth over the country singer’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! was due to allegations of sexual assault and battery made against him by his former hair and makeup artist in October. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly at the time, a woman identified as “Jane Roe” filed a lawsuit against Brooks, claiming that he raped her during a 2019 work trip to Los Angeles as well as sent her sexually explicit text messages and repeatedly exposed his genitals to her.
Brooks has denied the allegations on more than one occasion.
“For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars,” he told Us in an October statement. “It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face.”
“Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of — ugly acts no human should ever do to another,” he continued. “We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides.”
“I want to play music tonight,” Brooks concluded. “I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart [that] these wonderful things are in question now. I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.”
Earlier this month, Brooks filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against him and requested a hearing for December 9. Roe’s attorney, Jeanne M. Christensen, responded by telling Deadline, “This is just more of the same bullying and intimidation Garth Brooks has used from the moment he learned our client intended to hold him accountable. We look forward to getting before a jury and reaching the merits of this case.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
