Steven Tyler Formally Named in Lawsuit Alleging Sexual Abuse of a Minor

UPDATE 02/03/2023 12:30 PM ET: Steven Tyler has been formally named in a lawsuit accusing the Aerosmith frontman of sexually abusing a minor in the 1970s.

Entertainment Weekly notes, "Tyler was previously identified as Defendant Doe 1, and the court provided legal approval to name him on Wednesday."

Details of the lawsuit can be viewed below.

ORIGINAL STORY (Published 12/30/2022)
Steven Tyler is being sued in a California court over allegations he sexually assaulted a minor whom he had a years-long relationship with during the 1970s.

Per Rolling Stone, the plaintiff is a woman named Julia Holcomb. She alleges she and Tyler were in a three-year relationship that began in 1973 when she was 16. According to Holcomb's timeline of their meeting, Tyler would've been 25. Holcomb says Tyler was able to convince her mother to make him her legal guardian which allowed him to live and travel with her on tour easier.

Additionally, Holcomb accuses Tyler in the lawsuit of convincing her to have an abortion at 17 in 1975. She claims Tyler said he would stop supporting her if she didn't terminate the pregnancy. While pregnant, Holcomb escaped an apartment fire, and Tyler claimed the smoke she inhaled while escaping the fire harmed the baby, which was another reason to terminate the pregnancy. (Holcome's lawsuit claims her unborn baby was fine following the fire according to a medical professional.)

Rolling Stone notes Holcolm's accusations appear to line up with passages from the 1997 Aerosmith biography Walk This Way and Tyler's 2011 memoir Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? Holcomb was also mentioned in a 1976 profile published by Rolling Stone in relation to being romantically involved with Tyler.

Rolling Stone also added, "Holcomb’s suit comes in the final days of California’s Child Victims Act, a 2019 piece of legislation that lifted the statute of limitations and granted a three-year lookback period for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to come forward with their allegations. The deadline to file a lawsuit is December 31, 2022."

Tyler has yet to comment on the news of the lawsuit.

Aerosmith: Whether you refer to them as "The Bad Boys from Boston," "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" or both, we can all agree that the rock genre wouldn't be the same without them.

Their catalog is loaded with hits and timeless classics and their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career is one that bands only dream of.

Sadly, Aerosmith was forced to cancel their farewell tour and retire from touring due to Steven Tyler being unable to fully recover from a vocal injury that initially postponed the farewell tour.

The band issued a statement that reads as follows:

"It was 1970 when a spark of inspiration became Aerosmith. Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock ‘n’ roll history. 

It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours.  In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives. 

We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing.  As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other.  He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury.  We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision - as a band of brothers - to retire from the touring stage.

We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time. Grateful to our expert crew, our incredible team and the thousands of talented people who’ve made our historic runs possible. A final thank you to you - the best fans on planet Earth.  Play our music loud, now and always.  Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true."

To celebrate the wonder that is Aerosmith, here are their top 50 greatest songs.