A woman claims in a lawsuit that legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 1965 plied her with drugs and alcohol to groom at the age of 12 in order to sexually molest and abuse her.
According to the lawsuit, in the spring of 1965, Dylan, whose given name is Robert Allen Zimmerman, carefully developed an emotional relationship with the plaintiff, a now 65-year-old woman identified only as “J.C.” in the complaint, then repeatedly assaulted and molested her.
The woman, who filed her complaint in New York County Supreme Court on Friday, claimed the abuse took place in an apartment the now-81-year-old Dylan kept in Manhattan’s iconic Chelsea Hotel.
“Dylan exploited his status as a musician by grooming J.C. to gain her trust and to obtain control over her as part of his plan to sexually molest and abuse J.C.,” the lawsuit states, adding that in pursuit of that end he would “provide J.C. with alcohol and drugs and sexually abuse her multiple times.”
“Bob Dylan, over a six-week period between April and May of 1965 befriended and established an emotional connection with the plaintiff, J.C., to lower her inhibitions with the object of sexually abusing her, which he did, coupled with the provision of drugs, alcohol, and threats of physical violence, leaving her emotionally scarred and psychologically damaged to this day,” the complaint continued.
A spokesperson for Dylan told People Magazine that “the 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended.”
Daniel Isaacs, the attorney representing J.C. in the case, responded to Dylan’s spokesperson by telling People that he and his client “look forward to seeing them in a court of law.”
The suit was filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, a law which allowed for a one-year “revival” period for the statute of limitations in civil lawsuits where the cause of action is child abuse, regardless of when the abuse took place. The revival period was originally scheduled to run from Aug. 2019 until Aug. 2020, but was later extended to run through August 13, 2021, meaning J.C. suit was filed just before its expiration.
The suit lists four causes of action against Dylan, including assault, battery, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. J.C. is seeking to recover damages for the “severe psychological damage and emotional trauma” she claims to have suffered as a result of Dylan’s alleged conduct.
“Plaintiff is entitled to compensatory damages from the defendant, Dylan, in such sums as a jury would find fair, just and adequate,” the suit states. “Furthermore, because the defendant, Dylan, committed the acts alleged herein maliciously, fraudulently and oppressively with the wrongful intention of causing injuries to Plaintiff from an improper and evil motive amounting to malice and in conscious disregard of Plaintiff’s rights, Plaintiff is further entitled to punitive and exemplary damages from the defendant, Dylan, in such sums as a jury would find fair, just and adequate to deter future similar conduct.”
Read the full lawsuit below.
[image via YouTube screengrab]
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