LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — In a new court filing, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler denied claims that he sexually abused a minor in 1973, claiming that his accuser, who was just 16 at the time, consented to the relationship.
The motion to dismiss is the latest turn in a lawsuit originally filed in December on behalf of Julia (Holcomb) Misley, who claimed that Tyler, who was 25 at the time, obtained legal guardianship of her in 1973 and the pair carried on a sexual relationship for three years.
Misley claims that she met Tyler at a concert in Oregon shortly after her sixteenth birthday and alleged that he took her back to his hotel room where Tyler engaged in sexual conduct with her despite knowing that she was a minor.
In December 2022, Misley sued Tyler, alleging that he sexually abused her and forced her to undergo an abortion after Tyler used his fame and influence as her guardian and a famous rocker to “groom, manipulate, exploit” her for sexual purposes.
While Misley’s claims were outside of the statute of limitations, she took advantage of California’s Child Victims Act, which provides a temporary “lookback window” that allows victims to file suits in historical cases.
Now, in his motion to dismiss the suit, filed on March 28th, attorneys for Tyler argued that Misley was unable to bring suit against Tyler because she consented to the sexual relationship with him.
The motion to dismiss also claims that Tyler enjoyed “immunity or qualified immunity” from the allegations laid against him as Misley’s parents had given him legal guardianship over her so that she could travel with him while on tour.
Additionally, the motion to dismiss also argues that the allegations fall outside of the statute of limitations, barring Misley from bringing suit, despite the California’s Child Victims Act. Tyler’s affirmative defenses also claim that the plaintiff failed to state sufficient cause for action and that the allegations against Tyler are unfounded due to lack of intent on his part.
“Never have we encountered a legal defense as obnoxious and potentially dangerous as the one that Tyler and his lawyers launched this week: their claim that legal guardianship is consent and permission for sexual abuse,” stated Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the plaintiff.
