A woman, alias J.C., filed a lawsuit with the New York Supreme Court accusing singer Bob Dylan of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in 1965. Dylan denied it, and his fans were quick to point out that the timeline described in the lawsuit didn't seem to align with Dylan's schedule during that time.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="2" > sexual abuse under the threat of drugs, alcohol, and violence</h1>
Dylan — formerly known as Robert Allen Zimmerman — has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide over the course of a six-decade career. His best-known singles include Blowin' In The Wind, The Times They Are a Changin, and Like A Rolling Stone. In 2012, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-U.S. President Barack Obama. In 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first singer-songwriter to receive the prize, and the Swedish Academy awarded it to Dylan for "creating a new poetic expression in the tradition of American song."
But the legendary singer is now embroiled in a sexual assault lawsuit. A 68-year-old woman, alias J.C., filed a lawsuit claiming that over the six weeks from April to May 1965, Dylan had "met and bonded emotionally" with her and then sexually abused her multiple times.
Dylan chose to be friends with J.C in order to "lower her guard with the intention of sexually abusing her, and he did, coupled with the provision of drugs, alcohol and the threat of physical violence, which left her emotionally hurt and psychologically traumatized," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit further alleges that Dylan used his identity as a famous musician to "lure J.C. to gain her trust to exercise control over her" and sexually abused her "at some point" in an apartment at the Chelsea Hotel in New York.
According to CNN, J.C.'s lawyer declined to say how she knew Dylan or to elaborate on the nature of the sexual abuse allegations. "The lawsuit speaks for itself. We will prove all the allegations in court," said Daniel Isaacs, a lawyer for J.C., "the lawsuit was brought after extensive research and thorough review, and there is no doubt that she was with him (Dylan) at the Chelsea Hotel." ”
After being abused by Dylan, J. .C. claimed that she had "been suffering from mental and physical harm, including but not limited to severe mental stress, distress, humiliation and embarrassment, and financial loss." J.C. Intends to seek an indeterminate amount of damages, and she intends to give the specific amount to the jury to decide.
Dylan's spokesman wrote in a statement: "This 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended." ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="20" > questions about timeline inconsistencies</h1>
Dylan's biographer, Clinton Heylin, told the Huffington Post that he was skeptical of the allegations. His most recently published book, The Double Life of Bob Dylan: A Restless, Hungry Feeling, 1941-1966, covers the period during which the alleged abuse occurred and is quite detailed.
Helin said he didn't know exactly when Dylan and the accusers met. "It's impossible. Dylan toured England during that time, two weeks in Los Angeles, and another day or two in Woodstock, upstate New York," Hellin told the Huffington Post, "that tour was 10 days, but Dylan flew to London on April 26 and didn't return to New York until June 3." "If Dylan were in New York in mid-April, it would be only a day or two," he added, "and Woodstock is where he often goes when he doesn't tour." If he was in New York, he always stayed in his agent's apartment in Gramessee, not at the Chelsea Hotel. Haylin also said that Dylan did not start staying in the Chelsea Hotel until that autumn.
In addition, while J.C. Allegations of abuse occurred, the film crew of the documentary "Don't Look Back" was following Dylan in all directions. Helin said he doubted Dylan could abuse others during this recorded time without being discovered.
During this time, Dylan's future wife, Sara Lownds, was pregnant with their first child, Jesse, Haylin said. Dylan was also seen with the likes of Joan Baez, Nico and Marianne Faithfull. Helin said that although Dylan was found to be with many women during that time, none of them were teenagers, or a long way from this age group.
Peter Gleason, a lawyer representing J.C, told the Huffington Post that he had received calls from Dylan fans and that they had been mentioning such a timeline. But, Gleason said, "we still stand by that demand."
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="21" > a bill to help seek justice</h1>
The lawsuit was filed on the 13th, the day before the "review window" of the New York State Child Victims Act closed. The bill, signed by former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, is designed to "ensure that those who abuse children are held criminally and civilly accountable and that survivors of child sexual abuse have access to a path to justice." The bill allows victims to claim compensation "regardless of when or how long the abuse occurred." The application deadline was originally August 14, 2020, but was later extended to August 14, 2021 due to the pandemic.
Last week, the bill was used to prosecute Prince Andrew by a victim in the Epstein case, who claimed to have been raped and sexually abused by Prince Andrew at the age of 17. Attorneys for J.C. told CNN that their lawsuit was also filed under the act, which gave J .C." Looking for opportunities for redress".
News and image source: CNN, BBC, NPR, Deutsche Welle, some of the pictures are from the Internet
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