Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith, has been officially named in a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleges that she had a s**ual relationship with him when she was a minor in the 1970s.
The lawsuit, which was filed following changes to California legislation regarding childhood s**ual abuse allegations, accuses Tyler of s**ual assault, s**ual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The plaintiff, Julia Holcomb, claims that when she was 16 years old, Tyler convinced her mother to grant him guardianship over her, allowing them to live together and engage in a s**ual relationship.
According to the lawsuit, they were together for approximately three years, starting in 1973.
Initially, when the lawsuit was filed over a month ago, Tyler’s name was not included.
However, it has now been added, while the defendants listed as Does 2 through 50 have not yet been specified.
Holcomb, who was referenced in a 1976 profile of Aerosmith in Rolling Stone, has previously spoken publicly about her relationship with Tyler, and the lawsuit directly quotes from Tyler’s own memoir.
In his book, Tyler mentions having a relationship with a teenager and obtaining guardianship over her.
Holcomb stated in a press release that she hopes this lawsuit will expose an industry that protects celebrity offenders and hold it accountable for exploiting vulnerable individuals.
She also mentioned the new legislation that allows survivors of abuse to come forward and stand in solidarity with others who have suffered similar experiences.
According to Holcomb’s lawsuit, she was unable to resist Tyler’s power, fame, and financial resources, and he coerced her into believing their relationship was a romantic love affair.
The lawsuit alleges that Tyler engaged in criminal s**ual conduct with Holcomb after meeting her in 1973 at an Aerosmith concert in Portland, Oregon.
He then allegedly bought her a plane ticket to his next show in Seattle, where more s**ual acts occurred.
In 1974, Tyler allegedly convinced Holcomb’s mother to allow him to become her guardian, promising better support and care for her.
However, according to the lawsuit, he did not fulfill these promises and instead continued to travel with her, assault her, and provide alcohol and drugs.
The lawsuit also claims that Holcomb became pregnant with Tyler’s child when she was 17 years old but had an abortion after Tyler insisted on it due to an apartment fire.
Although the suit states that a medical professional confirmed the baby was unharmed by the fire, Tyler threatened to stop supporting Holcomb if she did not proceed with the abortion.
Holcomb’s life was further disrupted when Tyler published his memoir, which referenced their relationship without her consent.
The lawsuit argues that this subjected her to involuntary infamy while framing their alleged abuse as a romantic and loving relationship.
Tyler has previously spoken about a relationship with an underage girl in both his memoir and Aerosmith’s autobiography.
Holcomb has shared her allegations against Tyler in the past, including in interviews and a documentary about s**ual abuse in the music industry.
She has also used her experience to advocate against pro-choice beliefs regarding abortion.
This lawsuit comes in the final days of California’s Child Victims Act, which allows survivors of childhood s**ual abuse to bring forward allegations by temporarily waiving the statute of limitations.
The deadline for filing a lawsuit under this act is December 31, 2022.
As of now, there has been no response from Steven Tyler or his representatives regarding the lawsuit.
