Steven Tyler has been hit with sexual assault allegations from a woman who was 16 at the time of their illicit relations.
Court documents obtained byRolling Stone reveal that the alleged affair between the Aerosmith frontman and the plaintiff, Julia Holcomb began in 1973 when the singer was around 25 years old. While Tyler isn’t named in the lawsuit and is listed as a John Doe, he has been accused of sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The pair’s relationship began at a 1973 Aerosmith concert in Portland, Oregon, just after Holcomb’s 16th birthday. She alleges that after the show, Tyler took Holcomb to his hotel room where they discussed her family life and her age. They were also intimate, with Holcomb saying that he “performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon” her. He then illegally flew her out to his show in Seattle.
Later, Tyler attempted to persuade Holcomb’s mother into giving him guardianship of the teen so he could care for her financially and they could legally travel together. Though he never did get custody of her, they still toured together and he “continued to … assault and provide alcohol and drugs” to her, per Holcomb.
Two years later, Holcomb was 17 and was expecting Tyler’s son. However, he demanded she have an abortion. He contended that the baby had suffered from smoke inhalation and lack of oxygen due to an apartment fire, though those claims were later rejected. She eventually did get an abortion largely because Tyler said he would no longer support her financially. She subsequently left him and returned to Portland.
Tyler has spoken about his affair with Holcomb before, though never by name. In his 2011 memoir, he goes into detail about their relationship, saying he was with an underage girl with whom he had a “romantic, loving relationship.”
Holcomb filed the lawsuit before California’s Child Victims Act—legislation that waives the statute of limitations on child sex abuse—expires on Dec. 31.
