A lawsuit that accused Bob Dylan of historic sexual abuse of a minor has been dropped. As Billboard reports, the accuser – known only as J.C. – has withdrawn her case permanently, just one day after the artist’s lawyers accused her of destroying evidence and “irretrievably” damaging the case’s integrity.
The lawsuit was originally filed in August 2021, with the accuser alleging that Dylan had abused her between April and May 1965 when she was 12 years old. The lawsuit alleged that Dylan plied the alleged victim with alcohol and drugs over a period of six weeks in his New York City apartment and “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.”
Bob Dylan – ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’
In the immediate aftermath, efforts were undertaken to verify the truth of the claim, with Dylanologists claiming that the alleged timeframe of events did not align with the musician’s heavily-documented movements. “It is almost impossible to find one week — let alone six — that spring when Dylan could have been staying at the Chelsea Hotel,” explained author and Dylan researcher Clinton Heylin.
Dylan’s lawyers previously dismissed the case as nothing more than a “brazen shakedown masquerading as a lawsuit.” The suit’s withdrawal comes just days after the accuser fired her lawyers during the discovery period of evidence – a move that Dylan’s lawyers questioned heavily.
Now, as lead attorney Orin Snyder has revealed to Billboard, Dylan and his legal team have expressed relief at the withdrawal of the claim. “This case is over. It is outrageous that it was ever brought in the first place,” Snyder said. “We are pleased that the plaintiff has dropped this lawyer-driven sham and that the case has been dismissed with prejudice.”
Further Reading
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Bob Dylan Sells Unique Version Of ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ For $2.6 million
Bob Dylan, Jay-Z Among Forbes’ Ten Highest Paid Entertainers Of 2021
