EXCLUSIVE: Garth Brooks' Comeback Fears — Scandal and Inactivity Leave Singer Stricken With Stage Fright
Garth Brooks has been facing comeback fears as scandal and inactivity leave the singer battling stage fright.
April 3 2026, Published 7:45 a.m. ET
Garth Brooks is about to hit the road for his first tour in almost four years, and RadarOnline.com can reveal his stress levels are at 11 as he's still plagued with worry about the rape accusations that have tarnished his public image and tormented him in private.
"It's been years since he toured, so, of course, there's a lot of anxiety, and then on top of that he's afraid the audience could have been driven away by all the noise in his personal life, even though he keeps being told the support is still there," said the insider.
Garth Brooks Denies Rape Allegations
Garth Brooks is preparing for his first tour in nearly four years while privately worrying about ongoing rape accusations he denies.
As readers know, the country music star, 64, was accused of rape and sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by a woman who worked as his makeup artist. She claimed he repeatedly harassed her, then raped her in 2019.
The Ask Me How I Know singer has denied the allegations and sued his accuser, claiming she is trying to extort him and defame his character.
"Garth is confident his case will be resolved in his favor eventually, but the fact it keeps dragging on makes it hard to fully relax," said the insider.
Brooks ‘Nervous’ Without Wife on Tour
Trisha Yearwood will not be joining husband Brooks on the road, a situation sources said is adding to his pre-tour anxiety.
According to the sources, he's also "nervous as hell" about not having longtime wife Trisha Yearwood, 61, by his side while he's on tour.
"Leaving her behind is really tough for him because she's his anchor," said the insider.
"Ideally, he'd love her to be on the road with him as much as possible. He's saying that may be the only way he can get through this because he's really struggling."
Garth Battles Jitters Amid Legal Drama
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Brooks is reportedly struggling with stage jitters as the legal case continues to loom.
And with the rape case hanging over his head, he's been panicking about how he'll get his mojo back once he's up onstage.
"People assume that because he's been doing this for so long that he doesn't get nervous before he has to perform, but that's simply not true," shared the source.
"The pressure is huge, and like 99 percent of all artists, he still gets his share of the jitters before going onstage. And the longer the break in between – and this has been a long one – the worse it usually gets."
