Heather Taylor has once again filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, bringing renewed attention to allegations that date back more than 20 years. The case is moving forward now because of a new California law that allows adult survivors of sexual assault to file civil lawsuits even if the original time limit has long expired.
Taylor originally filed her lawsuit in 2023, accusing Lee of sexually assaulting her during a helicopter flight in 2003. At the time, the case faced legal challenges due to California’s statute of limitations — laws that set strict deadlines on when lawsuits can be filed. Because of those limits, Taylor later chose to voluntarily dismiss her case.
However, that dismissal was not the end of the story.
In 2026, Taylor refiled her lawsuit after California Assembly Bill 250 went into effect. This new law opened a temporary legal window for adult survivors whose cases were previously blocked by time limits. Thanks to this change, Taylor’s lawsuit is now able to move forward.
What Is California Assembly Bill 250?
Assembly Bill 250 is a law designed to help survivors of adult sexual assault who were never able to bring their cases to court simply because too much time had passed. Many survivors delay coming forward for understandable reasons, including fear, trauma, shame, or pressure from powerful individuals.
AB 250 gives survivors a second chance. It allows them to file civil lawsuits for sexual assault during a specific time window, even if the alleged incident happened decades ago. The goal of the law is not to guarantee outcomes, but to allow cases to be heard based on their facts — not dismissed automatically due to technical deadlines.
For Heather Taylor, this law changed everything.
What Heather Taylor Is Alleging
Taylor claims that in 2003, while on a helicopter flight with Tommy Lee, she was sexually assaulted. According to her lawsuit, the incident had a lasting emotional and psychological impact that affected her life for years afterward.
In the refiled complaint, Taylor lists several legal claims, including:
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Sexual battery
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Gender violence
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Intentional infliction of emotional distress
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Negligence
Her attorneys argue that the trauma from the alleged assault did not end when the flight ended, but continued to shape her personal and professional life long afterward.
Taylor has made it clear that her earlier decision to dismiss the case was strategic, not a surrender. In a public statement, she said that anyone who thought she was giving up had “vastly miscalculated” her determination. Now that the law allows her case to proceed, she says she is seeking justice.
Why This Case Is Getting Attention
The lawsuit is drawing significant attention for several reasons. First, Tommy Lee is a well-known rock musician and a highly public figure. Any legal case involving someone with that level of fame naturally attracts public interest.
Second, this lawsuit is one of the early high-profile cases to move forward under Assembly Bill 250. Legal experts and advocates are watching closely to see how courts handle revived claims like this one. The outcome could influence how future cases under the new law are treated.
Finally, the case is part of a broader cultural conversation about accountability in the entertainment industry. Over the past decade, more survivors have spoken publicly about abuse by powerful figures, and laws like AB 250 reflect a shift toward giving those survivors a legal voice.
What Happens Next?
With the lawsuit now officially refiled, the court will decide whether it moves into the next stages, such as evidence sharing and witness testimony. Tommy Lee’s legal team is expected to respond, though he has not yet made a public statement about the renewed filing.
For Heather Taylor, this moment represents more than a legal technicality. It is another step in a long effort to have her allegations heard in court, rather than dismissed because of timing rules.
As the case unfolds, it is likely to remain closely watched — not just because of the people involved, but because of what it represents for survivors seeking justice years after harm occurred.