Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Teresa A. Beaudet has ordered Marilyn Manson to pay Evan Rachel Wood’s legal fees that she accrued while defending against his defamation and emotional distress claims that have since been removed from Manson’s still-pending lawsuit against her, reports Rolling Stone. That amount is slightly less than the total Wood listed for reimbursement—$388,000—because Judge Beaudet sided with Manson’s lawyers, who pointed out that some of her billed hours were too “vague” in their descriptions.
Manson filed the instigating defamation lawsuit in March 2022, claiming that Wood and Illma Gore, her friend, decided to “publicly cast him as a rapist and abuser” in order to “[derail his] successful music, TV, and film career.” In May 2023, Judge Beaudet threw out many of the accusations in that lawsuit, including Manson’s assertion that Wood “recruited, coordinated, and pressured” women to make false statements about him and another alleging that Wood forged an FBI letter.
However, the case is still not over. Manson’s claims that Wood and Gore conspired to hack into his computer, impersonated him online, and made a “swatting” call for police to surround his home have yet to receive a verdict. That trial is currently scheduled for May 1. Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for a statement.
Last December, a lawsuit accusing Marilyn Manson of sexual assault, discrimination, battery, and harassment by his former personal assistant Ashley Walters was revived in an appeals court. Just a few months prior in September, Manson settled a 2021 lawsuit filed by an anonymous Jane Doe who accused him of having raped her, deprived her of food, and threatened her between 2010 and 2013.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
http://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741