James Edward Allen, popularly known by his stage name Jimmie Allen, lost a lawsuit alleging that in 2022 he sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel room in Las Vegas and recorded the act without getting her permission.
Judge Aleta A. Trauger issued a judgment against the country singer on Jane Doe’s claims of assault, abuse, invasion of privacy, and infliction of mental distress after he disobeyed court-imposed deadlines and orders, according to a Tennessee court order filed on August 18 and obtained by People.
“The defendants throughout have failed to comply with case management discovery deadlines and even failed to comply with specific Orders of this court,” the judge wrote in the ruling.
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The judge also ordered Allen to pay approximately $6,000 to Jane Doe’s lawyers for canceling a mediation session at the last minute. The 40-year-old country musician also failed to find new representation when an attorney left his team.
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“For these reasons, the plaintiff’s Motion for Sanctions and Judgment Against Defendants Jimmie Allen and Aadyn’s Dad Touring, Inc. is GRANTED,” the judge declared.
In a statement shared with People, Jane Doe’s lawyer, Elizabeth Fegan, said she was “pleased with the Court’s decision to grant judgment for Plaintiff in light of Jimmie Allen’s refusal to participate in the litigation process. We look forward to proving up Plaintiff’s damages caused by Allen’s predatory acts.” Meanwhile, People reports that Allen maintains his innocence.
Ted Anastasiou, Allen’s current attorney, told People that the judge’s decision was “purely procedural” and “the direct result of his prior counsel’s repeated failures to comply with discovery obligations and court orders.”
“This ruling was not based on the merits of the allegations. Mr. Allen has consistently and unequivocally maintained his innocence, and he firmly denies these accusations,” Anastasiou said.
“As with earlier accusations brought on the same baseless grounds, this case is equally meritless. The default judgment reflects the shortcomings of prior representation, not any wrongdoing by Mr. Allen. It is well-established that a client should not be penalized for the failures of their attorney, and Mr. Allen should not be deprived of his right to a fair defense,” Anastasiou continued.
“We intend to take immediate action to set aside this judgment and to ensure that the matter is decided on facts and evidence, rather than procedural missteps. Mr. Allen looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name in court.”
Jane Doe initially filed the case in June 2023, stating Allen violated her privacy by secretly filming their encounter and proceeding on with sexual activities with her after she had withdrawn her earlier permission.
Jane Doe claimed she had no idea who Allen was when he approached her on a plane bound for Nashville in May 2022. After their first meeting, they began to speak on a daily basis over text and FaceTime, and she said Allen misled her into believing he had separated from his then-wife, Alexis. Allen and Alexis, who married in a secret ceremony in June 2020, divorced in October 2024.
When Jane Doe and Allen reconnected in Las Vegas two months later, she was “comfortable and safe” in his hotel room because she believed she would also have her own room, according to the filing. She also claimed she “willingly joined Allen in the bedroom,” but he never informed her that he was filming. She further stated that she only agreed to intercourse using a condom since she was not on birth control.
“He told her he would respect her request,” Jane Doe claimed in her complaint. “Yet, as their encounter progressed, Allen penetrated Plaintiff during sex with his penis and without a condom. Allen told Plaintiff he wanted to get her pregnant. Plaintiff said no….He refused.”
According to the lawsuit, she repeatedly asked him to stop and verbally withdrew her consent, but he persisted. He then fell asleep, and as she was about to leave, she “panicked” because she spotted a phone in the closet “recording the scene.”
According to the court document, she took Allen’s phone as she was leaving and erased the video, but she also stated that she gave Allen’s phone to the local police force. She also filed a lawsuit against his bodyguard and the company that hired him.
Allen filed a countersuit in July 2023, and his lawyers claimed that the singer had obtained her permission to videotape the encounter beforehand. He also accused her of “conversion,” or illegally taking his cell phone. In August 2023, she submitted a motion to dismiss the countersuit, and it was granted.
Allen was previously sued by his former manager for assault and sexual abuse, which he denied. They negotiated an arrangement the next year, and the former manager abandoned her claims before the case went to court.
After the claims of the former manager and Jane Doe surfaced, Allen was dropped by his agency, UTA, suspended by his record label, BBR Music Group, and removed from his closing night spot at the annual CMA Fest in Nashville.
“Because of these false allegations [by the former manager], the past eight months have been the hardest of my life, but it has shown me how much love I have from my friends and family,” Allen said in a statement at the time.
Allen has recently released two new songs, “Small Town Anthem” and “Beer 99,” and has a 14-date tour planned for the fall.
