Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler sued by second woman for sexual assault in the 1970s
A second woman has made sexual assault allegations against Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler. The lawsuit claims the alleged event occurred in the 1970s, listing the cause of action as gender-motivated violence, maintaining that she suffered physical, psychological and emotional injuries.
The complaint was filed on November 2nd by Jeanne Bellino, who claims that Steven Tyler sexually assaulted her in 1975 when she was 17 and he was 27. Bellino’s allegations arrive after Tyler’s ex-partner, Julia Holcomb, filed a lawsuit in 2022, accusing him of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor.
Holcomb took legal action after the State of California temporarily lifted the statute of limitations in childhood sexual abuse allegations. She claimed that Tyler “did not meaningfully follow through on [guardianship] promises and instead continued to travel with, assault and provide alcohol and drugs to Plaintiff.”
Now, in Bellino’s new lawsuit, which Pitchfork obtained, she alleges that in the summer of 1975, when working as a youth model, she travelled from home in Queens to Manhattan to work at a fashion show. Bellino claims that she arranged with a friend to travel back to Queens together after, but instead, the friend made plans to meet up with Aerosmith. The suit alleges that Bellino and her friend later converged with Tyler and his entourage, after which they walked down Sixth Avenue.
Bellino alleges that during the walk, she commented to Tyler about an Aerosmith lyric, which “visibly irritated” him. She claims that he then allegedly grabbed her by the hand and forced her into a nearby phone booth.
She alleges that when stuck in the phone booth, Tyler “stuck his tongue down her throat, and put his hands upon her body, her breasts, her buttocks, and her genitals, moving and removing clothing and pinning her against the wall of the phone booth.”
The complaint alleges that Tyler humped Bellino and pretended to have sex with her whilst his entourage watched and laughed without intervening. Bellino claims that she eventually broke free from the Aerosmith singer by pulling his hair and raising her knee but remained with her friend and the entourage as she relied on her for transportation back to Queens.
After the alleged assault, Bellino says she was “dazed, confused, and shocked” and that it was her first sexual experience. Staying with Tyler and the rest of his entourage, she and her friend went with them to the Warwick Hotel. Here, Bellino claims that Tyler pinned her against the wall of the entrance to the hotel bar, put his tongue down her throat, and humped her once more, simulating sex.
According to the lawsuit, the doorman was able to witness what was happening, as others also stood by and watched the second assault. To free herself, Bellino claims that she pulled Tyler’s hair again and released her right arm. At this point, the frontman allegedly whispered, “I’m going in my room to do something quick”. Bellino says that “one of Steven Tyler’s colleagues” encouraged her to go to his room following this, but she refused and “bolted towards the door” of the hotel. From there, she took a taxi back home to Queens.
Tyler is yet to comment on the allegations.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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