Rocker Marilyn Manson has decided to drop his lawsuit against his former fiancée, “Westworld” star Evan Rachel Wood, and will also cover her legal fees, according to statements from attorneys for both parties on Tuesday.
This decision comes 18 months after a judge in Los Angeles County dismissed significant portions of the 2022 lawsuit in which Manson, legally known as Brian Warner, accused Wood of fabricating allegations of sexual and physical abuse during their relationship, as well as encouraging other women to do the same.
Manson’s attorney, Howard King, stated, “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.”
Marilyn Manson drops lawsuit against Evan Rachel Wood and agrees to pay her legal fees
Although Manson had been pursuing an appeal of the judge’s ruling, his legal team reached out to Wood’s attorneys to seek a settlement earlier this spring. Wood’s attorneys reported on Tuesday that she declined requests to keep the terms confidential.
According to Wood’s lawyer, Michael J. Kump, Manson initially “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.” He added, “But his attempt to silence and intimidate Ms. Wood failed.” In addition to dropping the lawsuit, Manson has agreed to pay nearly $327,000 in attorney fees to Wood.
This settlement arrives nearly four years into an unresolved criminal investigation involving multiple women against the 55-year-old Manson. Outgoing LA County District Attorney George Gascón stated in October that new evidence had recently come to light and that a decision on whether to file charges would be made once the investigation is more comprehensive.
While the women involved in the criminal investigation have not been publicly named, “Game of Thrones” actress Esme Bianco has identified herself as one of the individuals and has criticized the district attorney for the slow pace of the investigation. Bianco settled her own lawsuit against Manson last year.
Typically, the Associated Press does not disclose the identities of individuals who report sexual abuse unless they publicly come forward, as Wood and Bianco have done. Manson has consistently denied engaging in any non-consensual sexual acts.
In 2017, as the #MeToo movement gained traction, Wood publicly disclosed that she had been raped and abused, testifying on the topic before a congressional committee in 2018 without naming any perpetrator. However, in a 2020 Instagram post, she identified Manson as the one who “horrifically abused me for years.” The two began dating in 2007 and were briefly engaged in 2010 before their breakup.
Manson’s original lawsuit accused Wood and another woman, Ashley Gore (known as Illma Gore in legal documents), of defamation, intentionally causing him emotional distress, and sabotaging his career in music, television, and film.
It alleged that they used deceitful tactics, including a fabricated FBI letter, to persuade other women to come forward with abuse allegations and coached them on what to say. The lawsuit noted that Wood had spoken positively about Manson during their relationship.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Teresa A. Beaudet dismissed the claims related to the disputed FBI letter, which Wood denied forging. Additionally, she dismissed allegations that Wood and Gore used a checklist on an iPad to guide other women in making abuse claims against Manson.
However, some elements of the lawsuit remained because they were not included in Wood’s motion, including allegations that Gore hacked Manson’s email, phone, and social media accounts, created a fake email to fabricate evidence of him distributing illegal pornography, and “swatted” him by using a prank call to send authorities to his residence.
The part of the lawsuit concerning Gore was dismissed, and Manson agreed to pay $130,000 in her legal fees.
