Steven Tyler’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Dismissed After The Judge Ruled That The Plaintiff Waited Too Long To File Her Case

A lawsuit alleging that Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler sexually assaulted a teenage girl decades ago was dismissed by a federal judge.

Jeanne Bellino, a former teen model, filed a lawsuit against the rocker in November. She alleged that in the summer of 1975, he forcibly kissed, groped, and “humped” her twice in Manhattan over a single day. The case was brought under a recently amended New York City law, which permits abuse victims to sue over claims dating back decades.

However, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, in a ruling on Wednesday, determined that Bellino’s case did not meet the criteria outlined in the new statute. He concluded that the special “lookback” window only pertains to cases where the abuser’s actions posed a “serious risk of physical injury,” which, according to Kaplan, Tyler’s alleged actions did not present.

“The complaint in this case does not alleged conduct presenting a serious risk of physical injury and therefore fails to state a legally sufficient claim under the [NYC statute],” Kaplan wrote.

Wednesday’s ruling carries potential legal significance as it clarifies the parameters of New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law. This law allowed numerous alleged victims to file long-delayed abuse cases during a two-year window from March 1, 2023, to March 1, 2025.

Bellino, who sued in November, asserted that she had endured “severe and permanent emotional distress” due to incidents allegedly occurring when she was 17 and Tyler was 27. She claimed that Tyler utilized his status as a prominent musician to sexually assault her, leveraging his power, influence, and authority.