Steven Tyler is facing a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims she had a relationship with him in the ’70s when she was a minor. Rolling Stone reports that in a suit filed in Los Angeles, the plaintiff, Julia Holcomb, is accusing the Aerosmith frontman of sexual assault, assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Although Tyler isn’t named in the suit, the defendants are listed as Doe 1 and Does 2 through 50. The mag claims it’s obvious it’s Tyler since Holcomb has talked about her relationship with him in the past, and Tyler also wrote about it in his memoir. The suit also uses quotes about the relationship from Tyler’s book.
Holcomb claims she and Tyler were together for three years starting 1973, when she was 16 and he was in his 20s. They were allowed to be together because the rocker got her mother to grant him guardianship over her, which allowed her to live and travel with him.
Holcomb claims she “was powerless to resist” the rock star’s “power, fame and substantial financial ability,” and that he “coerced and persuaded” her into believing their relationship was a “romantic love affair.” She also says at 17 she got pregnant with Tyler’s son, but he pushed her to have an abortion, alleging smoke inhalation from when their apartment caught fire hurt the baby. Holcomb claims he threatened to stop supporting her if she didn’t. She says after she had the abortion she left him.
Tyler does mention a relationship with a 16-year-old in his memoir, Does the Noise in my Head Bother You? Although he doesn’t name Holcomb in it, he does include a Julia Halcomb in the acknowledgements.
So far Tyler hasn’t commented on the lawsuit.
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