Rock 'n' roll icon Steven Tyler is in the spotlight again, but this time not for his music. A second woman is suing the Aerosmith frontman, accusing him of sexually assaulting her back in 1975 when she was just 17 years old.
Jeanne Bellino, who is now 66, filed the lawsuit in New York court Thursday, claiming she suffered from physical and emotional abuse after Tyler assaulted her.
"Jeanne is now 66 years old and suffered in silence and humiliated shame for so many years, and had the courage to now tell her story," her attorney Jeff Anderson told People Magazine. "As horrific as it is, it’s powerful, and she wanted Latina women and girls to know they can stand up and speak out."
Country singer Jimmie Allen sued for sexual assault by former manager
Allen denied the rape allegations in a statement to Scripps News.
According to the complaint, Bellino says she was modeling in New York when she was introduced to Tyler through a friend. She claims at one point the artist, then 27, pulled her into a New York City phone booth, kissing and groping her without her consent. Bellino alleges he then assaulted her again at a party later that night.
The latest lawsuit comes after another woman, Julia Misley, sued Tyler in April. She also accused him of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in 1973 when Misley was just 16.
Tyler's legal team has sought to strike down portions of that case. Another hearing is scheduled for early next year.
Tyler has been a prominent figure in the music industry for decades after rising to stardom in the 1970s as lead vocalist for the band Aerosmith. With hit songs like "Dream On," "Walk This Way," and "Sweet Emotion," the group announced in May that they would embark on a 40-date farewell tour. However,that tour was rescheduled in September after the band said Tyler sustained a vocal cord injury.
