Julia Holcomb had filed a lawsuit against the Aerosmith singer, accusing him of sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress against her in the mid-1970s when she was a minor. Holcomb alleges that the singer convinced Holcomb’s mother to give him guardianship over her when she was a teenager, allowing her to live with him and engage in a sexual relationship.
Holcomb filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles following the 2019 California legislation Child Victims Act, which waived the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Lawsuit
Julia Holcomb, the plaintiff, claims that she and Tyler were together from 1973 until three years later. Although Tyler is not named in the lawsuit, their relationship has previously been made public. Also, Holcomb has spoken out about her interactions with Tyler, and the lawsuit features direct passages from Tyler’s autobiography.
“I want this action to expose an industry that protects celebrity offenders, to cleanse and 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,” Holcomb said in a statement regarding her suit.
Allegations
In the lawsuit, Holcomb claimed that Tyler had coerced and convinced her that they were having a romantic love affair. She claimed she was helpless because of his “power, fame, and substantial financial ability.”
Holcomb allegedly met Tyler shortly after her 16th birthday in 1973, when Aerosmith performed in Portland, Oregon. According to the suit, Tyler allegedly took Holcomb back to his hotel room, talked her up, and then performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct on her.
Tyler persuaded Holcomb’s mother to make him her guardian in 1974, allowing him to travel with her without fear of criminal prosecution. Tyler allegedly promised Holcomb’s mother that he would provide better support by enrolling her in school and providing her with medical care.
According to the lawsuit, Tyler did not keep his promises and instead continued to travel with, assault, and supply alcohol and drugs to Holcomb.
Pregnancy
Holcomb also claims that when she was 17, she became pregnant with Tyler’s son but had an abortion after Tyler insisted on terminating the pregnancy due to an apartment fire.
According to the lawsuit, Holcomb was hesitant to have the abortion, but Tyler threatened to stop supporting her if she didn’t.
She allegedly left Tyler after the abortion and returned to Portland to start over. She became a devout Catholic, married, and buried her past with Tyler until he wrote about them in his memoir.
Steven Tyler’s Memoir
Holcomb claims in the lawsuit that the publication of Tyler’s memoir, which framed the abuse as a romantic relationship, further disrupted her life.
Tyler discussed the relationship in both his memoir and Aerosmith’s autobiography. Holcomb claims in the suit that she is mentioned in the memoir’s acknowledgments, which further removes her anonymity.
Prior recollections
This isn’t the first time Holcomb has spoken out about her alleged relationship with Tyler. She had previously written about many of the same allegations for the right-wing anti-abortion website Lifesitenews in 2011.
She has appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show to discuss her experience with her anti-pro-choice stance. Holcomb also discussed the incident in the 2021 documentary Look Away, which examined sexual assault in rock music culture.