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Steven Tyler Accuser Calls Out “Fatal Flaw” in His Bid to Dismiss Child Sex Lawsuit
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler’s child sex abuse case is heating up as accuser Julia Misley pushes back against his latest attempt to dismiss her claims just weeks before trial.
In new court filings, Julia Misley argues that Steven Tyler’s motion for summary judgment — which seeks to throw out the case entirely — is “fatally flawed” and should be denied ahead of their October 1 trial date.
Misley’s Response: “Rewarding” Abuse Cannot Stand
Julia Misley, who claims Tyler sexually abused her beginning in 1973 when she was 16 and he was in his mid-20s, says Steven Tyler’s defense hinges on a dangerous argument: that their relationship was legal in Massachusetts, where the age of consent is 16.
Her legal team insists Steven Tyler cannot use that as a shield, especially since he allegedly transported her across multiple states, including Oregon, Washington, and California, where the laws offered greater protection. “Public policy doesn’t support rewarding someone who intentionally brought a child to a state with less protection,” her filing states.
She further contends that Steven Tyler waited too long to raise these defenses and failed to cite the exact statutes of limitations in the states where the alleged abuse occurred. “Therefore, he cannot raise these issues now, and the court should deny the motion,” the filing reads.
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Steven Tyler’s Defense Stance
Tyler, 77, has denied wrongdoing, framing the relationship as consensual and loving. His attorney, David Long-Daniels, told Rolling Stone the defense hasn’t forfeited any arguments. “It’s there. We challenged the statute of limitations,” he said, noting that their April filing broadly asserted the case was barred by time limits.
In his bid for dismissal, Tyler argues Misley improperly invoked California’s Child Victims Act to sue over what he describes as a “consensual relationship” that largely took place in Massachusetts. If the court rejects dismissal, Tyler insists the case should be narrowed only to alleged incidents in California.
Allegations from the 1970s
Misley first filed her lawsuit in 2022, accusing Tyler of initiating sexual contact shortly after her 16th birthday backstage at an Oregon concert. She claims the rock star then groomed her into a three-year relationship, becoming her legal guardian to avoid arrest when traveling across state lines with a minor.
Among her most harrowing allegations is an incident at the Beverly Hills Hotel where, while she was pregnant and underage, Tyler allegedly dragged her naked onto an elevator for sex. “I was treated like a sex toy. I was treated like a pet, like a thing, and it was humiliating,” Misley testified in excerpts cited in her filing.
Steven Tyler’s own 2011 memoir, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?, recounts several of these incidents — including sex on a red-eye flight and being discovered naked in a hotel elevator — though he presented them as consensual anecdotes.
Steven Tyler’s memoir – Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?
Trial Looms in California
A hearing on Steven Tyler’s motion is set for August 28 in Inglewood, California. If denied, the case will move forward with trial on October 1. Tyler is expected to attend in person.
For Julia Misley, the case represents not just her personal fight but a broader legal test of California’s revival statute for childhood sexual assault claims. “The damages here are indivisible,” her filing argues. “California has great interest in applying its law to deter the sex torts a resident committed upon a child.”
With both sides digging in, the looming trial is set to be one of the most closely watched celebrity abuse cases in recent years.
