Garth Brooks pays tribute at Jimmy Carter’s funeral amid sexual assault lawsuit

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Garth Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood stepped out this week to honor the memory of their longtime friend, the late president Jimmy Carterat his funeral in Washington. Their appearance comes in connection with the sexual assault trial against the 62-year-old “Friends in Low Places” singer.

On Wednesday, January 9, a pair of influential country musicians performed an acoustic version of John Lennon’s “Imagine” at the National Cathedral. Brooks played guitar, harmonizing with Yearwood, 60, as the choir joined them.

Brooks and the “She’s In Love With The Boy” singer, who has a long history with the country’s 39th president and his late wife Rosalynn Carter, until Habitat for Humanityjoined the service attended by the President Joe Bidenformer presidents (including Donald Trump AND Barack Obama) and other world leaders.

This wasn’t their first time honoring the Carters – the couple also performed “Imagine” at Rosalynn’s funeral in 2023.

Country icons’ tribute to the late POTUS – who died at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024 — comes as the “If Tomorrow Never Comes” singer continues to grapple with legal issues stemming from: a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him in October last year. The anonymous plaintiff, a former employee, accused Brooks of assault and harassment dating back to 2019 – an allegation the musician vehemently denies.

“For the last two months, I have been harassed non-stop with threats, lies and dire stories about my future if I didn’t write a multi-million dollar check,” Brooks said in an interview statement when the lawsuit was filed. “It was like someone was waving a loaded gun in my face. Silencing money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my opinion, this means that I am admitting to behaviors that I am incapable of – ugly acts that it is unlikely that I should ever do to another person.”

He continued: “I want to play music today. I want to continue our good deeds in the future. It breaks my heart that these wonderful things are now in question. I trust the system, I’m not afraid of the truth and I’m not the man they painted me as.

The two-time Grammy winner has been married to Yearwood since 2005. Before their relationship, he welcomed three daughters – Taylor, 32, Augusta, 30, and Allie, 28 – with his first wife, Sandy Mahl.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Violence Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to