Second judge recuses herself from lawsuit against Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Judge Patricia A. Young steps down from case involving allegations of a sexual relationship with a minor in the 1970s
Quick Look
- Torrance Superior Court Judge Patricia A.
- Young has recused herself from a lawsuit accusing Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler of a sexual relationship with a minor in the 1970s.
- The case, which involves allegations of guardianship and coercion, awaits reassignment.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The plaintiff sued Steven Tyler in December 2022, alleging he entered a sexual relationship with her when she was 16 and he was 25, after obtaining legal guardianship.
A second judge has removed herself from a lawsuit accusing Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler of having an illegal sexual relationship with a girl beginning when she was 16 and he was 25.
Torrance Superior Court Judge Patricia A. Young notified attorneys Tuesday that she was recusing herself from the case. A hearing to reassign the lawsuit is scheduled for Friday before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence P. Riff.
A minute order issued by Young’s clerk did not explain her decision.
Young had been assigned the case last fall after Inglewood Superior Court Judge Tamara Hall disqualified herself a day before a scheduled hearing on Tyler’s attempt to dismiss some or all of the lawsuit.
The woman sued Tyler in December 2022, alleging the singer persuaded her mother to grant him legal guardianship when she was 16, allowing her to live with him while the pair had a sexual relationship.
She alleges the relationship lasted about three years beginning in 1973.
According to the lawsuit, the woman became pregnant in 1975, meaning Tyler was allegedly both the father of her unborn child and her legal guardian. She claims Tyler pressured her into having an abortion despite her Catholic faith.
The woman says she eventually made a “conscious decision to leave and escape the music and drug-addled world,” seeking freedom from what she described as a sexualized culture surrounding Tyler and the music industry.
Tyler’s attorneys have challenged the lawsuit and maintain that most of the woman’s claims concern alleged conduct in Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington and would be barred by statutes of limitations in those states. They say only one claim has a sufficient connection to California.
In recent pretrial filings, Tyler’s lawyers also asked the court to prevent two of the woman’s sons, Seth and Heath, from testifying at trial.
The attorneys argue the sons were not alive when the alleged abuse occurred and therefore have no firsthand knowledge of it.
They also contend that any testimony about their mother’s character or emotional distress would be cumulative and potentially prejudicial given testimony expected from expert witnesses.
Tyler, 78, formed Aerosmith in Boston in 1970.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Reassignment hearing before Judge Lawrence P. Riff on Friday.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- Why did Judge Young recuse herself?
- Who will be the next judge assigned to the case?
