Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler denies child sexual abuse claims, asks for case dismissal
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Leon Bennett/Getty Images Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler has denied all claims that he sexually abused a minor in the 1970s after legal action was brought against him last year.
The Aerosmith frontman filed a response in Los Angeles Superior Court last week, which was reviewed by EW, that states he "denies, generally and specifically, each and every allegation" made by plaintiff Julia Misley in her December complaint.
In his response, Tyler's lawyers denied Misley's claims by presenting 24 separate affirmative defenses against the lawsuit, which state in part that she "has not suffered any injury or damage as a result of any action" by Tyler and that his actions at the time "were legitimate, good faith, justified, nondiscriminatory, and/or non-retaliatory."
As a result, the "Walk This Way" singer is asking that Misley's complaint "be dismissed with prejudice and in its entirety" as well as payment for his legal fees and any additional relief.
EW has reached out to representatives for Tyler, but did not immediately hear back. In a statement on Wednesday, Misley's lawyer Jeff Anderson claimed that Tyler was "gaslighting" his client with his legal response.
Tyler's answer comes months after Misley, formerly known as Julia Holcomb, filed a complaint against the musician under the California Child Victims Act accusing him of sexual assault, coercion of an abortion, and involuntary infamy. In the legal documents, Misley, now 65, claimed that Tyler used his celebrity status to "groom, manipulate, exploit, [and] sexually assault" her over the course of a three-year-long relationship that began when she was 16 and he was in his 20s.
Misley and Tyler first met at an Aerosmith concert in Oregon in 1973, per the complaint, which alleged that the rocker sexually abused her that evening in his hotel room and then sexually assaulted her after the band's following concert in Seattle, which Tyler allegedly flew her out to attend.
The complaint also stated that Tyler met Misley's mother the following year and that he "convinced her to sign over the guardianship of her daughter to him" under the assurance that Misley would be looked after. However, it said that Tyler "did not meaningfully follow through on these promises and instead continued to travel with, assault and provide alcohol and drugs" to Misley.
It also claimed that Tyler coerced her into getting an abortion and that Misley suffered emotional distress after he detailed a relationship with a minor in his 2004 memoir Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?
In December, Misley said in a statement that she is seeking to "hold accountable an industry that both exploited and allowed me to be exploited for years, along with so many other naïve and vulnerable kids and adults" with the lawsuit.
The complaint "recites in legal terms the trajectory of my life from early struggles to exploitation by Steven Tyler, the music industry, my escape from that world, my recovery and transformation, my restoration of spirit through faith, the building of a family and the rebuilding of my life," she said. "I am grateful for this new opportunity to take action and be heard."
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