A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler of sexually assaulting a former teenage model in Manhattan nearly 50 years ago, ruling that the accuser waited too long to bring her claim.
District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said on Wednesday that Jeanne Bellino did not qualify for a two-year window to pursue claims under a New York City law protecting victims of gender-motivated violence, as she did not allege that Tyler's conduct posed a “serious risk of physical injury”. The judge also found that two state laws, the Child Victims Act and Adult Survivors Act, pre-empted Bellino’s claim.
Bellino, who was a teenager working on a fashion show in the summer of 1975, alleged that Tyler, then around 27, sexually assaulted her twice in one day – once in a phone box and later at a hotel. Tyler has “vehemently” denied the allegations.
David Long-Daniels, Tyler’s lawyer, said: “We agree with the judge’s reasoning, and are grateful for this result on behalf of our client.” A lawyer for Bellino did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tyler still faces a separate lawsuit from Julia Holcomb Misley, who alleges sexual battery and assault relating to a relationship when she was 16. Tyler denies the allegations of assault and battery but not that he had sex with her. That case is ongoing.
