A sexual assault lawsuit against the Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler has been dismissed. A judge said the incident did not present a serious risk of harm to the plaintiff. Tyler, in 2023, was sued by Jeanne Bellino. Bellino had said that Tyler groped and kissed her, and humped her, pretending to have sex, twice in a night. She was 17 at the time.
The alleged incident took place in 1975. Tyler was 27 at the time. Bellino brought the lawsuit via New York City's Victim of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act -- a law, that extends the statute of limitations for certain alleged sexual misdeeds, in some cases, even if it iss from decades past, to be heard in court.
The judge said that for the accusation to hold, the act needs to 'present a serious risk of physical injury,' which, Bellino's case doesn't. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said Jeanne Bellino waited too long to sue the 75-year-old Tyler, who has "vehemently" denied her allegations. And in a ruling that could affect other cases, Kaplan said two state laws, the Child Victims Act and Adult Survivors Act, pre-empted Bellino's claim, "substantially for the reasons" given by Tyler's lawyers, Reuters reported.
David Long-Daniels a lawyer of Tyler, said, "We agree with the judge's reasoning and are grateful for this result on behalf of our client." Bellino has until March 13 to amend her complaint. Kaplan's ruling could affect other cases brought in New York City via the city's Victim of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act.
