Steven Tyler Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit: Trial to Proceed in California, Claims Dismissed in Other States
A judge ruled that the child sex abuse lawsuit filed by Julia Misley against Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler would proceed to trial in California but dismissed claims related to alleged abuse in Oregon, Washington, and Massachusetts. The judge indicated that she would not move the trial and needed time to craft a ruling that would narrow the lawsuit's causes of action without dismissing them entirely. Misley claimed that Tyler sexually abused her starting in 1973 when she was a high school sophomore, and he was 25.
Misley and her lawyers argued that Tyler had to respect the laws against child sex abuse in each state, and the judge agreed that Misley's claim of abuse in California was strong enough to proceed. However, the judge ruled that the statutes of limitations in the other states had expired and were not revived by California legislation. Misley alleged that Tyler had sex with her in Portland and Seattle when she was 16, where the age of consent was 18 at the time.
In her lawsuit, Misley claimed that Tyler brought her to California for an awards show and engaged in sexual activities with her in a hotel elevator. She alleged that Tyler groomed her into a three-year relationship where he became her legal guardian. Tyler mentioned the guardianship arrangement in his memoir but later stated that he did not recall it. Misley described feeling humiliated and treated like a sex toy during her relationship with Tyler.
Tyler initially argued that he had immunity as Misley's caretaker/guardian, but later abandoned that defense. Misley shared her family trauma and experiences leading up to her relationship with Tyler, including becoming pregnant at 17 and having an abortion following an apartment fire. She left Tyler in 1977, got married, and had seven children. Misley wrote about her abortion on a far-right, anti-abortion website.