(CNN) — A woman filed a lawsuit against Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler alleging sexual assault, coercion for an abortion, and involuntary slander in the 1970s when she was a minor and he was in his early 20s.
Lawyers for Julia Misley, formerly known as Julia Holcomb, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday (December 27, 2022) in Los Angeles County. The lawsuit was filed under the California Child Victims Act, which allows survivors of child sexual abuse to bring civil cases. The three-year “lookback” window ended on Saturday.
In a statement, Misley said the change in the law encouraged her to take legal action.
“I want this action to expose an industry that protects famous criminals, to clean up and hold accountable an industry that exploited and allowed me to be exploited for years, along with so many other naive and vulnerable children and adults,” Misley said in a statement. .
According to the lawsuit, Misley first met Tyler, referred to as Defendant Doe 1 in the lawsuit, in 1973 after Tyler performed a concert in Portland, Oregon. At the time, Misley was 16 and Tyler was 25.
The lawsuit alleges that Tyler, now 74, took Misley to his hotel room and “performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct” on her that night.
The lawsuit alleges that Tyler bought a plane ticket for Misley to meet him in Seattle for the band’s next show. The lawsuit alleges that Misley was also abused after that performance.
According to the lawsuit, in 1974, Tyler convinced Misley’s mother to “sign over custody of her daughter to him.” Tyler promised her mother that she would enroll her in school, help support her and help provide better medical care than her mother could provide, according to the lawsuit.
“Defendant Doe 1 materially failed to deliver on these promises and instead continued to travel, assault, and provide alcohol and drugs to Plaintiff,” the lawsuit states.
The suit also alleges that Tyler impregnated Misley and forced her to have an abortion.
“DEFENDANT DOE 1 (Tyler) pressured and coerced Plaintiff into an abortion by threatening to send her back to her family and stop supporting and loving her,” according to the lawsuit. “Plaintiff relented and the abortion was performed,” the lawsuit added.
“The complaint that has been prepared by my legal team recounts in legal terms the trajectory of my life from the first struggles to the exploitation by Steven Tyler, the music industry, my escape from that world, my recovery and transformation, my restoration of spirit through faith, building a family and rebuilding my life,” Misley said in a statement.
The lawsuit further alleges that Tyler has “intentionally publicized the acts he committed” with Misley through various published books describing the attacks.
In a 2011 memoir, “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?” Tyler writes about being so in love that he “almost married a teenager” whom the book does not identify.
“I went and slept at her parents’ house for a couple of nights and her parents fell in love with me, signed papers for me to have custody, so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state. I took her on tour with me,” she wrote.
Tyler’s accuser said the posts re-traumatized her and her family.
“I am grateful for this new opportunity to perform and be heard,” Misley said in a statement.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Steven Tyler for comment.
(CNN) — A woman filed a lawsuit against Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler alleging sexual assault, coercion for an abortion, and involuntary slander in the 1970s when she was a minor and he was in his early 20s.
Lawyers for Julia Misley, formerly known as Julia Holcomb, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday (December 27, 2022) in Los Angeles County. The lawsuit was filed under the California Child Victims Act, which allows survivors of child sexual abuse to bring civil cases. The three-year “lookback” window ended on Saturday.
In a statement, Misley said the change in the law encouraged her to take legal action.
“I want this action to expose an industry that protects famous criminals, to clean up and hold accountable an industry that exploited and allowed me to be exploited for years, along with so many other naive and vulnerable children and adults,” Misley said in a statement. .
According to the lawsuit, Misley first met Tyler, referred to as Defendant Doe 1 in the lawsuit, in 1973 after Tyler performed a concert in Portland, Oregon. At the time, Misley was 16 and Tyler was 25.
The lawsuit alleges that Tyler, now 74, took Misley to his hotel room and “performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct” on her that night.
The lawsuit alleges that Tyler bought a plane ticket for Misley to meet him in Seattle for the band’s next show. The lawsuit alleges that Misley was also abused after that performance.
According to the lawsuit, in 1974, Tyler convinced Misley’s mother to “sign over custody of her daughter to him.” Tyler promised her mother that she would enroll her in school, help support her and help provide better medical care than her mother could provide, according to the lawsuit.
“Defendant Doe 1 materially failed to deliver on these promises and instead continued to travel, assault, and provide alcohol and drugs to Plaintiff,” the lawsuit states.
The suit also alleges that Tyler impregnated Misley and forced her to have an abortion.
“DEFENDANT DOE 1 (Tyler) pressured and coerced Plaintiff into an abortion by threatening to send her back to her family and stop supporting and loving her,” according to the lawsuit. “Plaintiff relented and the abortion was performed,” the lawsuit added.
“The complaint that has been prepared by my legal team recounts in legal terms the trajectory of my life from the first struggles to the exploitation by Steven Tyler, the music industry, my escape from that world, my recovery and transformation, my restoration of spirit through faith, building a family and rebuilding my life,” Misley said in a statement.
The lawsuit further alleges that Tyler has “intentionally publicized the acts he committed” with Misley through various published books describing the attacks.
In a 2011 memoir, “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?” Tyler writes about being so in love that he “almost married a teenager” whom the book does not identify.
“I went and slept at her parents’ house for a couple of nights and her parents fell in love with me, signed papers for me to have custody, so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state. I took her on tour with me,” she wrote.
Tyler’s accuser said the posts re-traumatized her and her family.
“I am grateful for this new opportunity to perform and be heard,” Misley said in a statement.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Steven Tyler for comment.
