Tommy Lee Facing Lawsuit After Woman Accuses Him of Sexual Assault

While known for hits like “Theatre of Pain,” “Dr. Feelgood,” and “Girls, Girls, Girls,” Mötley Crüe’s stage presence outshined most heavy metal groups of its time, thanks in large part to drummer Tommy Lee. Not only did he moon the crowd at most shows, but his drum solos seemed like a piece of art as he often performed while floating above the crowd and even spinning. Famous for embracing the rock and roll lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, the drummer recently found himself at the center of a lawsuit after a woman accused him of sexual assault. 

Not wanting to release her identity to the press, the woman, going by Jane Doe, claimed Lee sexually assaulted her back in 2003. The woman explained how Lee’s personal helicopter pilot took her on a trip from San Diego to Van Nuys, California, where the drummer met them. According to the lawsuit, both men “consumed several alcoholic beverages, smoked marijuana, and snorted cocaine.” Eventually, Lee “proceeded to sexually assault [her] by forcibly groping, kissing, penetrating her with his fingers, and attempting to force her to perform oral copulation,” the suit said.

At the time of the assault, the individual worked at a bank in San Diego where she met David Martz, Lee’s personal pilot. Although unfamiliar with Martz, the woman accepted his invitation to ride in the helicopter, the suit alleged. She apparently had no idea they were going to fly to Van Nuys. When arriving, Lee joined the two, and just minutes later, the pilot and drummer started to drink and take drugs, according to the suit. 

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Woman Alleges Lee “Groped and Kissed” Her

After joining Lee in his seat to get a better view of the cockpit, the woman claimed in the suit he started to “grope and kiss” her, even trying to force her to perform oral sex. Feeling humiliated, shamed, and guilty for what transpired on the helicopter, the lawsuit noted, “Those feelings, coupled with the fame of Lee and the climate of the music industry at the time (in which a rock-n-roll star like Lee thrived and gained even further celebrity from salacious and hedonistic conduct) led her to believe that nothing would come from reporting Lee and Martz’s conduct to local police authorities.” 

Seeking damages for the incident, the woman suggested she was not the only victim to be lured by Lee and Martz. The latter passed away in 2015 after a plane crash. 

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for PETA