An unnamed woman who claimed Bob Dylan sexually assaulted her in 1965 dropped the lawsuit altogether, a day after Dylan’s lawyers accused her of destroying key evidence and “irreversibly” compromising the integrity of the case.
In a lawsuit filed last year, the woman alleged that Dylan molested her for six weeks in 1965, leaving her “emotionally scarred and psychologically damaged.” The artist’s lawyers were quick to call the case “false, malicious, reckless and defamatory” and “blatant extortion disguised as a lawsuit”.
But at a hearing on Thursday (July 28), the plaintiff, identified only as JC, suddenly asked the federal judge overseeing the case to file it “at a loss,” meaning it will be closed for good and will not be heard. The move came after he was accused of deleting important messages and threatened with monetary penalties.
“This case is over. It’s outrageous that this is being mentioned for the first time,” Dylan’s lead attorney, Orrin Snyder, of law firm Gibson Dunn, said in a statement. advertising panel. “We are pleased that the plaintiff has denied this attorney-sponsored fraud and that the case has been dismissed at a loss.”
JC’s lawyers did not immediately return a request for comment.
An unnamed woman alleged that Dylan sexually assaulted her repeatedly in April and May 1965 at the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. She said he supplied her with drugs and alcohol and “exploited” his status as a musician as part of a plan to “sexually abuse” her. .” Such charges are usually barred by the statute of limitations, but the case against Dylan was dropped before a one-year window closed under New York’s newest statute that allowed previous victims to sue alleged abusers.
Rock historians and Dylan experts were quick to cast doubt on the claims, saying that historical documentation showed Dylan was out of New York for most of April and May of 1965. 1965.”
Thursday’s sudden post came amid growing chaos in the case, including stern warnings from a judge of potential penalties, the sudden departure of the defendant’s lawyers and explosive accusations this week from Dylan’s team that he had deleted e-mail messages. emails, texts and important emails.
At the July 15 hearing, Judge Kathryn Polk Failla said Dylan’s attorney, Snyder, warned the defendant that he had failed to deliver the e-mails and text messages within the deadlines set by the court. According to the report Law 360He warned the defendant’s lawyers that they could face serious penalties if they did not comply soon: “For God’s sake, get these materials ready,” the judge told the defendant’s lawyers. “You understand the consequences if you don’t.”
A few days later, the defendant’s lawyers informed the judge that they had been removed from the case. Lawyers – Daniel V. Isaac and Peter J. Gleason, said they were “dismissing the plaintiff as their lawyers”, but did not provide any explanation for the dismissal. Dylan’s lawyers were quick to criticize the measure, saying it was designed to avoid court-ordered document-production obligations and the threat of penalties.
Then, on Wednesday, the conspiracy intensified: Snyder and Dylan’s legal team sent a letter to Judge Polk warning that the defendant still had not sent “dozens of critical letters that we know exist” even after the threat of sanctions. They said it includes key messages discussing and “calling into question” key allegations in the lawsuit.
Even more serious than the deadline, Snyder told the judge that the messages in question were likely destroyed by the defendant, a massive violation of litigation rules in any case.
Dylan’s lawyers told the judge that the evidence “strongly indicates that the plaintiff has destroyed evidence directly related to the central factual allegations in this lawsuit and that the evidence may be lost forever.” This means that the plaintiff will never be able to fulfill his discovery obligation, and the integrity of the process and the defendant’s ability to mount a fair defense are irreversibly undermined. “
The letter called for “case termination fines and monetary fines” and said the matter would be discussed at a hearing on Thursday.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
