Steven Tyler headed to trial on child sexual assault claims as judge dismisses bulk of case
A Los Angeles judge has cleared the way for a child sexual assault lawsuit against Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler to proceed to trial, while throwing out the vast majority of claims on statute of limitations grounds.
Mr. Tyler, 78, will face a jury on Aug. 31, 2026, at Los Angeles County Superior Court in a civil case brought by Julia Misley, formerly known as Julia Holcomb. The suit accuses Mr. Tyler of grooming, sexually assaulting and impregnating Ms. Misley when she was 16 years old in the 1970s, and claims he “used his role, status, and power as a well-known musician and rock star” to exploit her.
A judge on April 28 dismissed a significant chunk of the case, citing Massachusetts’ statute of limitations, as that was where Mr. Tyler resided with Ms. Misley during the three-year period they were linked. Because Mr. Tyler and Ms. Misley lived in Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington during much of their relationship, those specific charges were thrown out as they were not revived by California’s legislation.
However, the relationship moving out of Massachusetts into other states — as Mr. Tyler toured the nation with Aerosmith — allowed a portion of the case to remain under California’s Child Victims Act. Ms. Misley filed the lawsuit ahead of a Dec. 31, 2022, deadline under that law, which created a civil revival window allowing survivors of childhood sexual abuse to bring claims regardless of how much time had passed.
The judge dismissed all claims over the three-year relationship except those pertaining to an alleged 1974 incident involving Mr. Tyler in a hot tub at a California hotel. The sole surviving claim is one of intentional infliction of emotional distress tied to that single alleged encounter. Mr. Tyler’s attorney, David Long-Daniels, framed the partial dismissal as a near-total victory.
“This is a massive win for Steven Tyler,” Mr. Long-Daniels said. “Today, the Court has dismissed with prejudice 99.9% of the claims against Mr. Tyler in this case. The court has decided that only one night, 50-plus years ago, out of a three-year relationship is allowed to remain.”
The lawsuit claims Mr. Tyler and Ms. Misley first met at an Aerosmith concert in 1973, when he was in his mid-20s and she was 16. In 1974, Mr. Tyler was named Ms. Misley’s legal guardian and took her on tour with the band. The complaint further alleges that Mr. Tyler described the nature of the relationship in his 2011 memoir, “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?,” where he refers to Ms. Misley as his “teen bride.”
The lawsuit also describes Ms. Misley’s alleged pregnancy with Mr. Tyler’s child, which ended in a “pressured” abortion. In previous court documents, Mr. Tyler has denied the allegations and attempted to get the entire case dismissed.
While Mr. Tyler has never denied having a relationship with Ms. Misley, he has “vehemently denied” the allegations of sexual assault and battery, maintaining that the relationship was consensual within the context of the era.
Ms. Misley’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, struck a sharply different tone.
“This reflects years of resilience and courage by Ms. Misley, driven by an unwavering pursuit of truth and justice,” Mr. Anderson said in a statement. “It is time for justice and for Tyler to be held accountable by a jury.”
The trial arrives as Aerosmith’s performing days have come to a close. In August 2024, the band announced it was retiring from touring and canceling its “Peace Out” farewell tour after doctors determined that Mr. Tyler’s vocal recovery from a 2023 injury was not possible.
The case draws comparisons to other high-profile legal battles enabled by state lookback laws. New York enacted a similar civil revival window under its Adult Survivors Act, which Cassie Ventura used in 2023 to file a lawsuit against Sean Combs alleging sex trafficking and sexual assault. That case settled shortly after it was filed.
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