Accuser Refiles Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Tommy Lee Under New California Law
Heather Taylor has refiled a civil lawsuit accusing musician Tommy Lee of sexually assaulting her during a helicopter flight more than two decades ago, relying on a new California statute that reopened the door for previously time-barred claims.
Taylor initially brought the lawsuit in 2023, alleging that Lee assaulted her during a sightseeing helicopter ride in early 2003. That case was voluntarily dismissed last year after her legal team determined it would be strategically prudent to wait for the passage of Assembly Bill 250, a law signed by Gavin Newsom in October and effective as of Jan. 1. The statute creates a two-year lookback window allowing adult survivors to file civil sexual assault claims against individual defendants, without the need to prove a corporate cover-up or name a business entity.
When Taylor dismissed her original lawsuit, Lee’s attorney characterized the move as a “complete vindication,” calling the allegations false. Taylor disputes that interpretation and says the refiling represents her opportunity to have the claims evaluated on their merits.
The newly filed 14-page complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court largely mirrors Taylor’s earlier claims. According to the lawsuit, Taylor, then a bank teller, met helicopter pilot David Martz through her work at a San Diego financial institution. Martz allegedly invited her on a sightseeing flight, which she accepted. Taylor claims she was not informed until arriving at the airfield that Lee would also be on board.
Once airborne, Taylor alleges that Martz and Lee consumed alcohol and drugs in the cockpit. She claims Lee then sexually assaulted her while Martz observed and laughed, leaving her feeling trapped and unable to escape. Taylor says she resisted and that Lee disengaged shortly before being dropped off at Van Nuys Airport. She alleges she did not report the incident at the time due to fear, shock, and concern about retaliation.
Martz died in a plane crash in 2015. Public records and prior reporting indicate he had a history of aviation violations, including license suspensions and criminal charges unrelated to Taylor’s allegations.
Taylor originally filed her lawsuit anonymously in December 2023. In May 2024, a judge provisionally dismissed the complaint with leave to amend, finding that Taylor had not sufficiently alleged a qualifying cover-up or corporate involvement, requirements under the law then in effect. Rather than amend and risk dismissal with prejudice, Taylor withdrew the case while awaiting the passage of AB 250.
Under the new statute, those procedural hurdles no longer apply. Taylor’s refiled complaint includes claims for sexual battery, gender violence, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a jury trial.
Taylor has previously spoken publicly about the alleged assault, saying the experience had long-lasting emotional and psychological consequences. She has said that stepping forward was difficult but necessary, particularly after her initial dismissal was portrayed publicly as a legal victory for Lee.
With the refiling, Taylor says she hopes the case will now proceed without being derailed by procedural barriers. “I want the facts heard,” she said. “This time, the law allows that to happen.”
The case is among the first high-profile tests of California’s new adult sexual assault lookback window, which lawmakers said was designed to address gaps left by earlier legislation and allow survivors a clearer path to civil court.
