The legendary musician and Nobel laureate has been accused of abusing the young girl over a six week period
A woman has filed a lawsuit against Bob Dylan claiming that he sexually assaulted her back in 1965. The woman in question, now 68, says that the musician and former Nobel prize-winning poet plied her with drugs and alcohol before sexually abusing her as a 12-year-old child.
The lawsuit, filed on Friday, alleges that the folk singer-songwriter “befriended and established an emotional connection with the plaintiff” – identified in Manhattan supreme court papers simply as “JC” – before going on to groom her over the course of six weeks between April and May 1965.
The suit, filed late Friday on behalf of JC, now a 68-year-old woman living in Greenwich, Connecticut, alleges that Dylan, then 23/24, “exploited his status as a musician by grooming JC to gain her trust and to obtain control over her as part of his plan to sexually molest and abuse” her.
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The suit alleges that Robert Allen Zimmerman (Dylan’s full name) abused the then minor multiple times, with some incidents taking place at the Chelsea Savoy in Manhattan. JC says that the emotional effects of the abuse, including depression, humiliation and anxiety, “are of a permanent and lasting nature and have incapacitated [her] from attending her regular activities”.
Many on social media have noted that Dylan was well documented as having been on tour in the UK at the time, footage from which was used in the popular Don’t Look Back documentary. Dylan’s representatives have rubbished the reports and say the case will be “vigorously defended”.
Bob Dylan has been accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in 1965 in a new lawsuit filed in New York. The singer's rep says that "the 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended." https://t.co/T8btkaqFrV
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) August 16, 2021
According to the suit, Dylan established a “connection” with JC in order “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”.
JC is seeking unspecified damages and a trial in front of a jury for allegations of “assault, battery, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress”, the aftermath of which she claims has led her to seek medical treatment on multiple occasions.
If you have been affected by any aspect of this story, please consult the valuable crisis resources below:
Helpful resources
- NHS Rape Crisis Support – 0808 802 9999
- Sexual abuse support – 08081689111 or live chat
- Safeline
- Rainn (US) 800-656-4673
- 1800Respect (Australia) – 1800 737 732.
- Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
If you are in an emergency situation, make sure to call 999 immediately.
