Marilyn Manson has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles court against Evan Rachel Wood for defamation over her accusations of sexual abuse against him.
The suit is in response to Wood’s allegation in the Phoenix Rising documentary that she was “essentially raped on camera” by former fiancé Manson during the filming of the video for 2007’s “Heart-Shaped Glasses (When The Heart Guides The Hand)” single.
Manson argues her “malicious falsehood” was part of an “organized attack” that has derailed his career.
In the lawsuit, Manson has claims that Wood had conspired with a woman named Ashley Gore to falsely cast him as a “rapist and abuser.” Manson said the alleged scheme explains why he has faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct over the past year.
“Gore and Wood have secretly recruited, coordinated, and pressured prospective accusers to emerge simultaneously with allegations of rape and abuse against Warner, and brazenly claim that it took 10 or more years to ‘realize’ their consensual relationships with Warner were supposedly abusive,” the lawsuit claims.
Manson has also claimed that the pair impersonated an FBI agent, provided scripts to “prospective accusers,” solicited his private information from former employees, and created a fake email address to manufacture evidence that he had sent illicit pornography.
Manson’s attorney Howard King told Billboard that the suit was necessary “to stop a campaign of malicious and unjustified attacks on Brian Warner.” The lawyer’s statement also alleged the Wood and Gore used the “fabricated FBI letter” to “dupe” HBO into distributing the “one-sided” Phoenix Rising.
“The evidence of wrongdoing by Wood and Gore is irrefutable – and this legal action will hold them to account,” King concluded.
(Photo: Craig Noce)
Music News Service distributed by Frankly Media. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved