Marilyn Manson has officially dropped his defamation lawsuit against his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood and her associate Ilma Gore. Manson first filed the lawsuit in March 2022, accusing the pair of orchestrating a group of women to come forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against him.
The controversy began in 2021 when Wood publicly named Manson as her abuser. Over a dozen women followed suit, sharing similar accusations. These claims led to Manson‘s career being put on hold, with his manager, label, and talent agents severing ties with him.
While Manson has denied the allegations, several legal battles have unfolded. Notably, Manson reached a settlement with Esmé Bianco in January 2023 after she filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault. Other lawsuits, including one from Ashley Morgan Smithline, were either dismissed or recanted. A trial date for a 2025 sexual assault lawsuit filed by Manson‘s former personal assistant, Ashley Walters, is still pending. Additionally, Bianca Allaine Kyne filed a lawsuit against Manson, accusing him of sexual assault in the mid-’90s.
In his defamation suit, Manson also claimed that Wood and Gore impersonated an FBI officer and unlawfully accessed his personal email and accounts. However, much of the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge in early 2024, leaving Manson responsible for $496,364 of Wood’s legal fees.
Manson appealed some of the claims that had been dropped, including allegations that Wood and Gore had impersonated him online, gained unauthorized access to his accounts, and been behind a “swatting” call at his residence.
Despite the ongoing legal battles, Manson has now opted to dismiss the lawsuit. Reports from Rolling Stone reveal that Manson attempted to settle confidentially out of court by offering to pay a portion of Wood’s legal fees, but she rejected the offer. As a result, Manson has agreed to pay Wood’s legal fees in full.
A spokesperson for Wood commented on the situation, saying:
“Marilyn Manson — whose real name is Brian Warner — filed a lawsuit against Ms. Wood as a publicity stunt to try to undermine the credibility of his many accusers and revive his faltering career. But his attempt to silence and intimidate Ms. Wood failed. As the trial court correctly found, Warner’s claims were meritless. Warner’s decision to finally abandon his lawsuit and pay Ms. Wood her full fee award of almost $327,000 only confirms as much.”
Manson’s attorney, Howard King, shared:
“After four years of fighting a battle where he was able to tell the truth, Brian is pleased to dismiss his still-pending claims and appeal in order to close the door on this chapter of his life.”
Outside of these legal matters, Manson is still dealing with another civil lawsuit related to a 2019 concert spitting incident. In September 2023, Manson entered a plea deal and pled no contest to a misdemeanor simple assault charge, resulting in 20 hours of community service and a $1,400 fine.
Meanwhile, in October, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Sex Crimes Division announced that it was reviewing new leads and evidence regarding the sexual assault allegations made against Manson. District Attorney George Gascón stated:
“The LADA’s Sex Crimes Division is currently reviewing a case involving Brian Warner, aka Marilyn Manson… New evidence has emerged within the last few weeks, adding to an already extensive case file presented to our office. We anticipate making a filing decision soon.”
In the midst of his legal battles, Manson has relaunch his music career this year, touring alongside Five Finger Death Punch and Slaughter To Prevail. His twelfth studio album, One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1, was released on November 22, 2024.
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