Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee finds himself in the spotlight once again: this time around he’s entangled in a lawsuit involving disturbing accusations of sexual assault during a helicopter ride over 20 years ago. The plaintiff, known as Jane Doe, alleges that she was lured onto the chopper under false pretenses, with the complicity of the musician’s private pilot, David Martz, and subsequently faced a harrowing experience.
According to the lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles and obtained by Rolling Stone, the woman had met Martz in 2002 through her job at a San Diego bank. Their friendship evolved, leading to occasional meetings at a local restaurant named Casa Machado. The plaintiff claims that Martz invited her for a helicopter ride in February 2003. Initially hesitant, she eventually agreed, and met him at an airfield, expecting a scenic tour of San Diego.
However, the trip took a disturbing turn as “Martz pulled out alcohol he had stored in the helicopter and began to mix drinks”. Jane Doe states that Martz and Lee drank, smoked marijuana, and snorted cocaine while she refused to drink. Later on, the plaintiff was directed to the cockpit by Martz, and instructed to sit on Tommy Lee‘s lap, in order to get the best view, to which she agreed feeling pressured. The situation escalated quickly from that point: “Lee penetrated the plaintiff with his fingers while fondling her breasts. Lee then pulled down his pants and attempted to force the plaintiff’s head toward his genitals. By this point, plaintiff was in tears, but she had nowhere to go.” The woman claims she was trapped in the cockpit during the 40-minute flight from San Diego to Van Nuys, with Martz allegedly doing nothing to intervene.
The lawsuit, filed by lawyers Neville Johnson, Douglas Johnson, and Melissa Eubanks, lists multiple charges, including sexual assault, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. Jane Doe believes this incident was not isolated, suggesting that Martz – who died in a Cessna accident in August 2015 – and Lee “had a history of engaging in indecent and illegal conduct on Martz’s helicopter.”
The legal action names not only Tommy Lee but also Mayhem Touring, Tommy Lee Inc., A Natural High Helicopters, and Social Helicopters as defendants. Jane Doe seeks damages for medical expenses, loss of earnings, and loss of earnings capacity.
