A lawsuit filed on Friday claims Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee sexually assaulted a woman in the cockpit of a helicopter during a trip from San Diego County to Van Nuys, CA, in February 2003.
The woman (“Jane Doe” in the filing), an acquaintance helicopter pilot David Martz, thought she was going on a sightseeing trip around San Diego County. But when she arrived at the airport Martz told her they would be flying Lee up to L.A. instead.
According to the suit, Martz and Lee drank, smoked marijuana, and snorted cocaine during the flight. The woman did not imbibe. Martz eventually ordered her to the cockpit to sit on Lee’s lap to get the best view. Feeling “immense pressure,” she complied.
That was where the assault (“forcibly groping, kissing and… attempting to force her to perform oral copulation”) allegedly occurred. The woman claims Martz “merely watched” the assault and said nothing to her after dropping Lee off.
Thinking it was an isolated incident and that police wouldn’t take her seriously she did not report it.
However, it appears Martz, with Lee and on his own, had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and sexual encounters while flying. Subsequently, Martz had his license revoked three times and died in a Cessna accident in August ‘15.
The woman claims Lee’s assault caused her “great shock, distress, humiliation, shame and guilt.” She is seeking past, present, and future damages, including but not limited to medical expenses, loss of earnings, and loss of earnings capacity.
