NASHVILLE, Tenn. - According to court documents obtained by WRDE, Jimmie Allen and Wide Open Music are being sued in a civil suit that alleges the country singer and Delaware native sexually harassed and assaulted a woman.
Accusations against Allen include sex trafficking, battery, assault, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. His management company, Wide Open Music, is accused of participation in a venture engaged in sex trafficking; gross negligence; negligent failure to warn, train, or educate; and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The woman who brought the suit is a former day-to-day manager for Allen and is referred to as Jane Doe. Documents say that the two met in April 2020 and sexual harassment began that May. They state multiple examples of "attempts to decline Allen's sexual abuse and her outward expressions of extreme discomfort," and that "Allen manipulated and used his power over [her] job to sexually harass and abuse her over the course of the next 18 months."
In March 2021, documents claim that Allen sexually assaulted the manager while she was incapacitated and incapable of giving consent following the filming of an American Idol episode in which he appeared. The woman said she drank a couple of glasses of white wine but did not remember anything after dinner that evening. Documents say she lost consciousness and awoke naked in her hotel room several hours later, with Allen insisting she take Plan B, an emergency contraceptive that helps prevent pregnancy within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
On Oct. 4, 2022, the woman said she sat down with her boss, Ash Bowers, the founder of Wide Open Music and Allen's principal manager, to disclose that she had been raped and sexually abused. She said she told him she could not put up with Allen's abuse any longer and asked that she be reassigned. Rather than reassign her, Wide Open Music placed her on leave and then fired her on Oct. 26.
This civil suit comes after Allen announced on April 21 that he was separating from his wife, Lexi, with whom he is expecting his third child. Allen responded to the civil suit from his former manager in a statement, denying the accusations but acknowledging that the two had a relationship.
"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,” Allen said in a statement. “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."
"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 statement continued. "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."
Full documents can be found here.