Story at a glance
- Court proceedings filed in New York allege singer Bob Dylan sexually assaulted a minor in 1965.
- The case was filed under provisions of New York’s Child Victims Act that expanded the statute of limitations.
- The plaintiff seeks to bring the case before a jury.
A lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York has brought charges of sexual assault against iconic American singer and Nobel laureate Bob Dylan.
US legend Bob Dylan performs on stage during the 21st edition of the Vieilles Charrues music festival on July 22, 2012 in Carhaix-Plouguer, western France. (FRED TANNEAU/AFP/GettyImages)
The plaintiff, identified only as “J.C.” in court documents, alleges that the singer sexually abused her under threats of physical violence and the administration of drugs and alcohol in New York City when she was 12 years old.
While the assault allegedly occurred in April of 1965, the suit was filed pursuant to the New York Child Victims Act of 2019. Signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the law extends the statute of limitations to allow survivors of childhood abuse to bring charges against their abusers as adults.
In May, Cuomo further extended the law’s “look back window” to give survivors of abuse a longer timeframe to bring charges against abusers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deadline was on Aug. 14; the suit against Dylan, whose real name is Robert Allen Zimmerman, was filed the day before, on Aug. 13.
Case filings say that 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 plaintiff said the attack occurred while Dylan was a resident of the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan and took place over the course of at least two months in 1965..
She described the fallout of the abuse as “severe mental distress, anguish, humiliation and embarrassment, as well as economic losses.” Costs associated with coping from the alleged assault include paying for medical treatment and care.
J.C., who lives in Greenwich, Conn., is seeking an unspecified sum in damages but intends to bring the case before a jury to determine a fair amount.
A Dylan spokesperson said that “This 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended,” per Page Six.
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