Why did Brian Littrell sue a Florida Sheriff's Office? Backstreet Boys member's lawsuit over private property rights explored

Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell recently sued the Walton County Sheriff's Office for failing to prevent trespassers from using his private beach. Citing the lawsuit filed on Thursday, June 19, 2025, Entertainment Weekly relayed that Littrell wanted a "writ of mandamus" against the officials, compelling them to take action.

According to the outlet, despite the singer's repeated attempts to ward off the public, trespassers continued to "antagonize, bully, and harass" him, his wife of 25 years, Leighanne Wallace, and their son Baylee.

Per Cornell's Legal Information Institute, a mandamus is an official order from the court given to an inferior government official to fulfill their duties. Essentially, Littrell wants the court to mandate the Walton County Sheriff's Office to enforce his private property rights.

Brian Littrell's lawsuit accused law enforcement of "refusing to do their duty"

In his lawsuit, Brian Littrell claimed his family had put up a "No Trespassing" sign and furniture like chairs, tables, and umbrellas to mark the boundaries of his property. Despite that, the problem persisted. This prompted them to hire private security. However, they continued to rely on the sheriff's office to stop the trespassers. The litigation accused them of "refusing to do their duty."

According to Mike Schneider of AP News, Brian Littrell bought the aforementioned property at Santa Rosa Beach in Walton County in 2023 for $3.8 million. Citing property records, Schneider reported that his company, BLB Beach Hut, LLC, is listed as the owner.

 

 

 

 

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Per the article, Florida laws mandate that any sand below the high-water line is public. That means homeowners own sand up until that line. However, in recent years, several counties have passed ordinances that allow the public to access private beaches for sunbathing, fishing, and walking if people have historically had access to them for the same.

Per Entertainment Weekly, the legal complaint also detailed an alleged incident where an officer was dispatched to remove someone from the private beach. Notably, the deputy's body camera caught him (the officer) saying he "doesn't agree with private beaches," even describing Brian Littrell's behavior as "lunacy." A separate incident reportedly saw a 911 operator hanging up on the BLB employee who called to report a "battery and theft" on the property.

According to the lawsuit, eventually, Littrell filled out a Walton County Trespass Authorization Form. The letter allows law enforcement to enforce private property rights on behalf of the owner. However, despite trying to call them several times for help, the authorities allegedly took no action.

This is not the first time the said beachfront property has made headlines. Back in April 2023, a video of Littrell's wife getting into a verbal argument with beachgoers claiming they were on her property went viral.

Backstreet Boys Brian Littrell + entitled Wife harasses, @withoutcustomaryuse and other beach goers.
byu/euphestials intiktokgossip

In a statement made to AP News, Lindsey Darby, a spokeswoman for the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, explained they did not comment on any pending litigation. However, she added:

"The Walton County Sheriff’s Office prides itself on handling every situation, call for service, or interaction with professionalism using a customer service approach. This has always been our philosophy and will remain so moving forward."

Brian Littrell, in a statement made to Fox News Digital, explained he brought the home to "vacation in quiet," without "drama." But he added that he wasn't aware of the ongoing battle between beachgoers and private property owners. He stated:

"People started finding that out (where he lived), the public is screaming my name, running down, wanting to take pictures, it's violating property (rights)."

Further, the singer's lawyer told the outlet, the trespasser has to go through "scantily populated public beaches in order to get to Brian's property." He stated they just wanted to "cause trouble."