Steven Tyler Responds to Sexual Assault Lawsuit, Says Accuser Waited Too Long to Come Forward with Allegations
May 2 2023, Published 2:22 p.m. ET
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler responded to the woman who sued him for sexual assault, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Tyler, 75, was sued by Julia Holcomb in December 2022 for sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Holcomb claimed that in the mid-1970s, she was in a sexual relationship with Tyler when she was just 16 years old. She also alleged that when the relationship resulted in a pregnancy a year later, the rocker forced her to get an abortion.
The 75-year-old rock star fired back at his accuser — claiming the contents of his memoir about their relationship couldn't be used against him.
According to court documents filed by Dream On singer's legal team, Tyler claimed the 2011 release of his memoir, in which he used a pseudonym to describe Holcomb, did not inflict emotional distress on his accuser.
The Aerosmith singer said that a Star Magazine article about the relationship, which was published months before his memoir's debut, was actually to blame.
Tyler further claimed that he intentionally did not mention Holcomb by name when he wrote about their controversial relationship — and that Holcomb used her connection to him for self-promotion.
Additionally, Tyler raised an issue with the statute of limitations for some of Holcomb's allegations to dismiss his accountability.
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
Because Holcomb filed her lawsuit 11 years after the release of Tyler's memoir, the singer claimed he could not be sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress, which carried a two-year statute of limitations to bring forward a complaint.
Moreover, the Crazy singer stated that his memoir was an exercise in self-expression — and claimed it was therefore protected under the first amendment.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Holcomb alleged that Tyler manipulated her mother into turning over legal guardianship of her to him when they dated five decades ago. She also claimed that while Tyler was her boyfriend and legal guardian, he "performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct."
Tyler denied the accusations and claimed that the relationship was consensual, even though Holcomb was a minor at the time.
