Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler’s lawyers call for parts of teen sexual assault lawsuit tied to memoirs to be removed

nme.com:

Steven Tyler‘s legal team have asked a judge to strike a claim of intentional inflection of emotional distress (IIED) “based on statements” Tyler made in memoirs.Last month, Tyler denied all allegations from a recent lawsuit accusing him of sexually assaulting a minor.The accusations were first raised in December, in which Julia Misley – who was known as Julia Holcomb at the time – accused the Aerosmith singer of sexual assault and battery dating back to the 1970s, when she was a minor.In the suit, she claimed that they were both involved in a sexual relationship for about three years and that the frontman convinced her mother to grant him guardianship over her when she was 16.The lawsuit also referenced Tyler’s memoirs, in which he recalled that he “almost took a teen bride” and described how her parents “signed a paper over for me to have custody, so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state.”As reported by Rolling Stone, the defences stated that all claims are “barred” as the claimant gave “consent”, and added that Tyler should be granted immunity as he was “caretaker and/or guardian” at the time.Now, according to Rolling Stone, in a new filing, Tyler’s lawyers are arguing that the parts of Misley’s suit based on the memoir make it a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation” (SLAPP).Tyler’s lawyers claim that the motion to strike is “made upon the grounds that” Misley filed a SLAPP because, “The conduct complained of arises out of statements made in Tyler’s published memoirs.

Such conduct implicates Tyler’s right to free speech.”The legal team are arguing that Tyler’s statements in his memoir should be considered “protected activity” and that Misley has “repeatedly” admitted “that her IIED claim is.