Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 1989, according to a court filing seen by AFP on Wednesday.

In the filing, the victim Sheila Kennedy, an actress and model, alleges that Rose "sexually assaulted her" and that she "did not consent and felt overpowered".

Rose, lead singer of the heavy rock band famous for albums like "Appetite for Destruction," has yet to comment publicly.

The incident is alleged to have happened in a New York hotel room after the pair met in a nightclub.

The civil case was submitted on November 22 and calls for Rose whose real name is William Bruce Rose to face a jury trial.

"Rose used his fame, status, and power as a celebrity and performer in the music industry to gain access to manipulate, control and violently assault Kennedy," the complaint claims.

Kennedy's lawyers say in the complaint that "this action is timely pursuant to the N.Y. Adult Survivors Act", a New York law allowing alleged victims of sexual abuse to file civil suits past the statute of limitations.

Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, brought a rape complaint against rapper Sean Combs under the law although they later settled the claim.