Marilyn Manson Sues Evan Rachel Wood for Defamation Over Sexual Abuse Accusations

Rock star’s lawsuit accuses the ”Westworld“ actress of making false claims and impersonating an FBI agent

· TheWrap

Marilyn Manson is suing ex-fiance and actress Evan Rachel Wood for defamation after she accused him of sexual abuse allegations last year and reiterated them in the recent documentary film “Phoenix Rising.”

Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, says in his lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday and obtained by TheWrap that the claims are a “malicious falsehood” that have derailed his music, film and TV career. The suit also names Illma Gore, who it describes as Wood’s “on-again, off-again romantic partner” as a defendant in the suit casting him as a “rapist and abuser.”

The lawsuit alleges that Wood and Gore knowingly made false statements, including that he “filmed the sexual assault of a minor,” and even impersonated an FBI agent in order to create the appearance of an ongoing, federal investigation and make it feel as though his alleged “victims” were in danger. It adds that the two hacked into his computer and social media to create a fake email designed to create “purported evidence that Warner was emailing illicit pornography.”

Also Read:
‘Phoenix Rising’ Film Review: Evan Rachel Wood Doc Shows Celebrity Doesn’t Shield Women From Abuse

Reps for Wood did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

The “Westworld” star Wood became publicly engaged to Warner in 2010 when she was 19 and he was 38 before an eventual split in 2011. Last February, Wood posted on Instagram saying that the rock star abused, groomed and manipulated her for years.

“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,” she wrote.

Also Read:
Grammys Chief Defends Noms for Marilyn Manson, Louis CK: ‘We Won’t Look at People’s History’

Warner as a result of Wood’s abuse accusations, as well as others from a “Game of Thrones” actress and a Jane Doe, led to him being fired from a role on “American Gods” and being dropped by his label and agency.

Wood’s documentary “Phoenix Rising” premiered at Sundance earlier this year and is set to debut soon on HBO on March 15, and it details more of her experience with Warner and her fight to pass the Phoenix Act legislation in California that extends the statute of limitations for domestic violence cases.

Deadline first reported the news.