“The Last of Us” and “Critical Role” star Ashley Johnson, along with six other women, is suing her ex-boyfriend Brian W. Foster, alleging crimes including sexual battery, stalking and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
On Tuesday, the seven women filed a civil suit in a Los Angeles County court against Foster, best known for hosting and producing “Talks Machina,” a weekly web series that discussed the “Dungeons & Dragons” livestream series “Critical Role.” Johnson is a main cast member on “Critical Role,” but Foster left “Talks Machina” in 2021, and the web series ended with his departure.
The complaints in the lawsuit, obtained by The Times, vary from woman to woman, although several overlap. Allegations include that Foster committed acts of domestic violence, assault, gender violence and violations of civil rights. Foster’s actions made Johnson fear that he was planning to kill her, according to the court filing.
All seven women reside in California, and one of the plaintiffs is Johnson’s sister, Haylie Langseth, who alleges in the lawsuit that she was groped and harassed by an intoxicated Foster at a family party in front of her children.
Foster did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment, and no legal representation for Foster is listed in the complaint.
“Fueled by chronic abuse of drugs and alcohol, Defendant Brian Wayne Foster has, for the last decade, demonstrated a disturbing pattern and practice of chilling and depraved behavior towards women,” reads the lawsuit. “The women unfortunate enough to have crossed his path were subjected to a common thread of physical and sexual violence as well as mental and emotional abuse. Foster has left a trail of victims whose lives he sought to control through various lies, threats, intimidation, and manipulation.”
According to the lawsuit, Johnson said Foster threatened to extort her for $150,000, saying he would release “personal information.” The actor said she also faced “consistent acts of physical intimidation including but not limited to punching through glass, throwing objects, and screaming obscenities in [Johnson’s] face.” Johnson alleges in the suit that, while berating her, Foster urinated on her floor in an act of aggression and humiliation and that she had to scrub the floor herself when he refused to clean up the mess.
Per the suit, Johnson broke up with Foster in March. At the time, she alleges, he was living in her Los Angeles home and cutting her off from friends and family, in part by tampering with the internet connection at her house. She says she had poor cell service and relied on WiFi for making and receiving calls.
In April, Foster allegedly posted a picture of Johnson’s dogs on Instagram with the location of the photo tagged as “Robert Blake Garden’s.” Robert Blake was an actor infamously known for being acquitted of his wife’s murder (although a civil jury later found that Blake had “intentionally caused” his wife’s death.) “Johnson, terrified by Foster’s post, fled from her home in fear for her life,” reads the suit. “The following day, Johnson went to the police.”
Johnson sought help in May from the Los Angeles Police Department, which investigated her complaints. The suit states that an officer reviewed footage of Foster carrying around a large black duffel bag — allegedly containing two airsoft guns modified to appear to be real guns and a garrote, which is a strangulation device — and an orange ammo case.
“Due to the alarming nature of Foster’s conduct,” the officer “went to an after-hours judge and filed an immediate Emergency Protective Order on behalf of Johnson,” reads the suit. “After the judge signed off on the EPO, Foster was removed from Johnson’s house by the police.”
Foster then allegedly commandeered Johnson’s home security cameras and microphones to monitor her and track her comings and goings, violating the protective order.
In August, Foster filed a response to the Emergency Protective Order, obtained by The Times, in which he refuted Johnson’s allegations of abuse and stated he did not agree to the request for a protective order. “I do not own any firearms, or a gun license, and all of the allegations … that say I was carrying an ‘ammo box’ are untrue,” Foster wrote. “Petitioner knows that I was planning to take a 2 week camping trip. I had purchased a Trail Box from Bespoke Post for that trip.”
The other women involved in the suit allege that Foster groped them and sexually harassed them in various ways, including by forcing his hands down their pants and sending obscene text messages threatening forcible sexual acts.
“After years of suffering Foster’s abuse and after being pushed towards an emotional breakdown as a result, Plaintiffs have had enough,” the suit reads. “While Plaintiffs have remained private and avoided publicity, they now pursue this action as a cautionary tale. Plaintiffs seek to lift the veil of silence to prevent others from being similarly victimized by Foster. No woman should be forced to live with the cruelty and fear that Plaintiffs and others have experienced at Foster’s hands.
Resources for survivors of sexual assault
If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual violence, you can find support using RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline. Call (800) 656-HOPE or visit online.rainn.org to speak with a trained support specialist.