New York Daily News

Dylan accused in Kid Vic Act suit of sexually abusing girl, 12, in ’65

- BY NOAH GOLDBERG AND MOLLY CRANE-NEWMAN

Bob Dylan is accused of molesting a 12-year-old girl over a six-week period in 1965 in a new lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The voice-of-a-generation singer-songwriter, whose given name is Robert Allen Zimmerman, allegedly plied the girl with drugs and alcohol, establishi­ng a relationsh­ip for the purpose of sexually abusing the preteen, the suit claims. He also physically abused the girl, who is only referenced as J.C., the suit claims.

“Dylan exploited his status as a musician by grooming J.C. to gain her trust and obtain control over her as part of his plan to sexually molest and abuse J.C.,” the suit reads.

Dylan’s alleged abuse left his unnamed victim “emotionall­y scarred and psychologi­cally damaged to this day.”

A rep for Dylan (photo) denied the allegation­s.

“The 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended,” said Larry Jenkins in a statement to The News.

The lawsuit alleges the abuse occurred during April and May of 1965, the same year his fifth album, “Bringing It All Back Home,” came out. The victim had just turned 12 in April 1965.

The abuse happened “multiple times” and sometimes took place at his apartment at the famed Chelsea Hotel, the suit says. Lawyers for the victim declined to tell The News if abuse happened in any other locations.

Because of the alleged sexual molestatio­n, J.C. was depressed, angry and anxious and suffers from issues related to it to this day, according to the lawsuit.

Dylan’s alleged victim now lives in Greenwich, Conn.

The suit is for claims of assault, battery, false imprisonme­nt and intentiona­l infliction of emotional distress.

The suit was filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, which temporaril­y got rid of the statute of limitation­s for people to file lawsuits alleging sexual abuse when they were minors. The window for victims of child sexual abuse to file their lawsuits closed Saturday, the day after J.C.’s suit was filed.

Dylan was sued earlier this year by the widow of a songwriter he worked with who demanded more than $7 million for selling the rights to songs her husband had co-written. Dylan won that lawsuit.

The 80-year-old Nobel prize winner has recorded 39 albums in his legendary career that has seen him win Grammys, Golden Globes and even an Academy Award.

He sold his more than 600song catalog to Universal Music Publishing in 2020. The library’s estimated value is $300 million.

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