Steven Tyler Lawsuit Heads to Trial After April 2026 Ruling

The Steven Tyler sexual assault lawsuit brought by Julia Misley has been narrowed to a single claim heading to trial on August 31, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, after Judge Patricia A. Young dismissed the vast majority of Misley’s allegations in April 2026. What remains is one count of intentional infliction of emotional distress tied to an alleged 1974 encounter in California, when Misley was 16 and Tyler was 25.

What Misley Alleges

Misley, formerly known as Julia Holcomb, filed suit in December 2022 under Los Angeles Superior Court case number 22TRCV01604. She alleges she met Tyler at an Aerosmith concert in Portland, Oregon, shortly after her sixteenth birthday in 1973, and that he “performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct” upon her in a hotel room that night and continued a sexual relationship with her over the next three years.¹

The complaint says Tyler convinced Misley’s mother in 1974 to sign over legal guardianship of the teenager to him so he could transport her across state lines on tour without risk of criminal prosecution. It quotes Tyler’s own 2011 memoir, in which he wrote that her “parents fell in love with me, signed a paper over for me to have custody, so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state.”¹

Misley also alleges she became pregnant with Tyler’s child in 1975, when she was 17, and that Tyler pressured and threatened her into having an abortion after she survived a fire in their Boston apartment. The original complaint asserted sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.¹

Why the Case Could Be Filed Decades Later

California’s Child Victims Act, passed as Assembly Bill 218 in 2019 and effective January 1, 2020, extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims and opened a three-year revival window letting survivors sue over decades-old abuse. That window closed at the end of 2022, and Misley filed just before the deadline.² More than 30 states have enacted similar revival windows.³

The suit was initially filed against “Defendant Doe 1.” On February 1, 2023, a court granted approval to formally identify Tyler as the defendant.¹

The April 2026 Ruling That Reshaped the Case

On April 28, 2026, Judge Young dismissed with prejudice what Tyler’s attorneys described as “99.9% of the claims.” The claims arising from Misley’s three-year relationship with Tyler in Massachusetts were barred by that state’s seven-year statute of limitations; the lawsuit had been filed more than 35 years after Misley turned 18. Allegations tied to conduct in Oregon and Washington were dismissed on similar grounds.⁴

One claim survived. Misley alleges that she and Tyler had sexual contact in a hotel and a public hot tub in California in 1974, when she was 16. Judge Young let that claim proceed under California’s revival window, drawing a distinction that mattered: while the age of consent in Massachusetts was and remains 16, California’s is 18. Under California law, Misley was “legally incapable of consenting” to the encounter.⁴ The judge said “California absolutely has an interest in people coming into our state, committing a crime here, such as childhood sexual abuse, and then leaving again.”⁵

The one remaining count is intentional infliction of emotional distress tied to that single California incident.⁶ Tyler’s lead attorney, David Long-Daniels of Reed Smith, called the ruling a “massive win,” saying “only one night, fifty-plus years ago, out of a three-year relationship is allowed to remain.” Misley’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, responded: “It is time for justice and for Tyler to be held accountable by a jury.”²

One earlier ruling still shapes what the jury will hear. In January 2026, the court refused to strike portions of the complaint referencing Tyler’s memoir, holding that the book’s contents could be used as evidence of a “pattern of behavior” and intentional infliction of emotional distress.⁷

Tyler’s Defense

Tyler has denied all of the allegations. His legal team filed roughly two dozen affirmative defenses, arguing among other things that the claims were barred by the statute of limitations, that Misley consented to the relationship, that she suffered no damages, and that Tyler was entitled to immunity as her legal guardian and caretaker.⁸

Anderson called the consent and guardian-immunity arguments “obnoxious and potentially dangerous,” saying the claim “that legal guardianship is consent and permission for sexual abuse” amounted to “gaslighting.” Legal experts cited in reporting at the time noted that under California civil code, consent is not a valid defense in civil sexual battery cases where an adult holds a position of authority over a minor.⁹

A Separate Lawsuit, Now Dismissed

Tyler faced a separate suit filed November 2, 2023, by Jeanne Bellino, a former child model who alleged that in the summer of 1975, when she was 17, Tyler assaulted her twice in one day in New York. She sued under New York law for “gender-motivated violence.”¹⁰ A New York judge dismissed Bellino’s case in February 2026, ruling she had waited too long to bring the claim.⁶

What Happens Next

Trial is set for August 31, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. A jury will decide the single surviving claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming from the alleged 1974 California encounter.¹¹

1
Rolling Stone. Steven Tyler Sexual Assault Minor Lawsuit
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Los Angeles Times. Steven Tyler Trial Child Sexual Assault Claims
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CAOC. Sexual Assault Survivors Rights
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Billboard. Steven Tyler Sexual Assault Lawsuit Largely Dismissed
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Chaos Zine. Another Lawsuit That Goes on Under New California Law
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People. Steven Tyler Scores Legal Win in Ongoing Sexual Assault Lawsuit
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AXS TV. Steven Tyler Sexual Abuse Trial Moves Forward
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Rolling Stone. Steven Tyler Sexual Assault Lawsuit Lawyer Response
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The A.V. Club. Steven Tyler Denies Sexual Assault Lawsuit
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Rolling Stone. Steven Tyler Sexual Assault Second Woman Lawsuit
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Washington Times. Steven Tyler Headed Trial Child Sexual Assault Claims