Steven Tyler files legal papers in sexual assault case
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler reportedly filed legal papers last week in the ongoing lawsuit that alleges he committed the sexual assault of a minor.
In December, Julia Holcomb, Tyler’s former girlfriend, filed a lawsuit against the musician. Their relationship started circa 1973 when Tyler was 27, and she had just turned 16. Holcomb claims that after meeting at an Aerosmith show in Portland, Tyler invited her back to his hotel, knowing her age. Per the lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone, the musician “performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct” upon her. Their second encounter followed an Aerosmith show in Seattle, after which Tyler convinced Holcomb’s mother to sign over her daughter’s guardianship to him.
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.” She added that the relationship ended after she “made a conscious decision to leave and escape the music and drug-addled world, seeking to be free from the sexualized culture created by Tyler and the industry”.
In Tyler’s new filing, his lawyers argue that complaints against him are wholly or partially inadmissible because Holcomb had given her consent, and he is further protected by her position as her legal guardian. CBS reports that his lawyers claim that his “actions were legitimate, justified and in good-faith” and that the plaintiff had not “sustained any injury or loss by reason of any act or omission” and is therefore not entitled to any damages.
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