Evan Rachel Wood has alleged that Marilyn Manson groomed and “horrifically abused” her for years, writing on Instagram and in a statement to Vanity Fair. The actor, who was briefly engaged to Manson in 2010, has previously spoken about surviving domestic abuse but declined to name the alleged perpetrator. Manson has not yet responded to Wood’s statement. Pitchfork has emailed representatives for Wood and Manson for comment.
“The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” Wood wrote. “He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
Vanity Fair also published statements from four more women who came forward about experiences with Manson.
Wood, the star of HBO’s Westworld and member of the electropop duo Rebel and a Basketcase, spoke to Rolling Stone in 2016 about her “physical, psychological, [and] sexual” abuse at the hands of a partner. She also said she had been raped by “a significant other while we were together.” In 2018, she testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee in support of the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, as Vanity Fair notes. The following year, she testified for the Phoenix Act before California legislators. The act, drawn up to extend the statute of limitations for crimes involving domestic violence, was passed in 2019.
In 2018, a sexual assault case brought against Manson in 2011 was publicly revealed. His lawyer at the time “categorically” denied the claims. It was also revealed that Manson faced allegations of battery and assault with a deadly weapon, but was not charged because California’s statue of limitations had expired.