Image Credit: Mediapunch/Shutterstock
Steven Tyler has been accused of sexually assaulting two women in the 1970s. The Aerosmith frontman is facing two lawsuits against accusers Julia Misley and Jeanne Bellino. For details on the case and allegations against Tyler, keep reading.
What Did Steven Tyler Allegedly Do?
Misley and Bellino accused the “Dream On” artist of assaulting both of them when they were teenagers. Misley first came forward with her allegations in December 2022. She sued Tyler in Los Angeles County for sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Misley — whom Tyler allegedly calls a “teen bride” in his memoir, does the Noise in My Head Bother You? — claimed that she and the musician began a relationship in 1973 when she was 16. They first met after an Aerosmith concert in Oregon. In Misley’s lawsuit, she accused Tyler of performing “various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon” her after taking her back to his hotel room that night.
After that, the two continued to see each other, and Tyler even convinced Misley’s family to grant him guardianship over her so that she could go on tour with him. Tyler acknowledged that he did this in his book without naming Misley.
Misley also accused Tyler of forcing her to get an abortion and “coerced and persuaded [Misley] into believing this was a ‘romantic love affair,’” according to Rolling Stone.
As for Bellino, she filed a lawsuit in New York against Tyler in November 2023. She alleged that he sexually assaulted her twice in 1975 when she was 17, working as a model and living in the Queens borough of New York City.
Bellino recalled performing in a fashion show at the time, and she and a friend were able to meet the band members of Aerosmith, according to her lawsuit, per Insider. She alleged that she asked Tyler about a specific song lyric while the group walked down 6th Avenue in Manhattan together. The “Angel” artist allegedly became “irritated” with Bellino and forced her inside a phone booth. Bellino accused Tyler of groping her, removing her clothes, pinning her against the phone booth wall and stuck his tongue down her throat. She claimed that she pulled Tyler’s hair, causing him to stop.
“None of Tyler’s colleagues, bandmates, members, or [Bellino’s] friend intervened or made any effort to stop the assault being committed in their presence by Steven Tyler,” the lawsuit claims. “Rather, Tyler’s bandmates and members of the entourage watched, laughed and did nothing to intercede.”
Later that evening, Tyler allegedly assaulted Bellino in the Warwick Hotel, she claimed. Bellino accused Tyler of “simulating sex” without her consent by “again” pinning her “against the wall” and forcing his “tongue down her throat” while bystanders just “watched.”
Bellino claimed that Tyler invited her to his hotel room, which she declined. A doorman who witnessed the incident allegedly “flung” Bellino into a cab that took her home, she claimed in her lawsuit. As a result of the alleged incident, Bellino’s lawsuit states that she was “hospitalized and medicated.”
“Jeanne is now 66 years old and suffered in silence and humiliated shame for so many years, and had the courage to now tell her story,” Bellino’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, told PEOPLE in a statement. “As horrific as it is, it’s powerful, and she wanted Latina women and girls to know they can stand up and speak out.”
What Has Steven Tyler Said About the Sexual Assault Accusations?
In response to Misley’s claims, Tyler denied sexually assaulting her by filing his response in a Los Angeles County court in 2022, according to PEOPLE. Tyler claimed that Misley consented to their sexual interactions, and that he had immunity as her legal guardian at the time that the alleged assault occurred. The “Sweet Emotion” artist also alleged that Misley “has not suffered any injury or damage as a result of any action by Defendant.”
Tyler has not responded to Bellino’s allegations and lawsuit yet.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
