Phoenix 24
The ruling narrows what jurors may hear without resolving the central allegation.
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
Steven Tyler obtained several favorable pretrial rulings in the civil case brought by Julia Misley, also known as Julia Holcomb, who accuses the Aerosmith singer of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager in the 1970s. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected Misley’s attempt to exclude evidence supporting Tyler’s argument that their relationship was consensual. The trial is currently expected to begin on September 21.
Misley alleges that the relationship began in 1973, when she was 16 and Tyler was 26. Her lawsuit claims that the musician used his fame and influence to groom, manipulate and exploit her over approximately three years. She also says Tyler obtained legal guardianship through an agreement with her parents, allowing her to travel with him and Aerosmith. Tyler denies wrongdoing and maintains that the relationship was consensual.
The judge ruled that Misley cannot tell jurors about an abortion she says Tyler pressured her to undergo or about alleged assaults occurring after she turned 18. She will also be prohibited from calling Tyler a “sex trafficker,” comparing her experience with the Holocaust or claiming that he forced her to remain with him. Evidence concerning drugs and alcohol may still be introduced when directly connected to the alleged incidents remaining before the court.
Most of Misley’s original claims were dismissed in April, largely because alleged conduct outside California fell beyond the applicable legal deadlines. The surviving claim concerns intentional infliction of emotional distress arising from an alleged encounter at a California hotel and public hot tub in 1974. Misley’s lawyers argue that the remaining evidence is sufficient for a jury to determine whether Tyler committed childhood sexual assault, while his defense emphasizes that almost the entire original case has been removed.
These evidentiary decisions represent a procedural advantage for Tyler, but they do not constitute an acquittal or a judicial finding that Misley’s allegations are false. Their purpose is to define which facts and arguments the jury may consider. The remaining claim, Tyler’s defenses and the credibility of the testimony will be evaluated at trial.
Lo visible y lo oculto, en contexto. / The visible and the hidden, in context.