Former Marilyn Manson accuser alleges Evan Rachel Wood pressured her into alleging abuse
An ex-girlfriend who accused Marilyn Manson of abuse has dropped the allegations in a declaration of support filed. Her defamation suit against Evan Rachel Wood.
Ashley Morgan Smithline alleges that she publicly accused Manson of sexual assault and battery because she was pressured by Wood, according to a declaration filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
A representative for Wood did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations. Wood has previously denied coercing women to make complaints.
Wood said Manson “horribly abused” her over the years.
Manson has denied any wrongdoing.
Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, filed a defamation suit last year alleging that Wood “secretly recruited, coordinated and pressured” Wood to make allegations of abuse against women.
In an interview with Smithline came forward with allegations against Manson People Magazine in May 2021. She alleged that he subjected her to physical, sexual and emotional abuse from 2010 to 2013.
Manson was accused of whipping Smithline, carving his initials into her body, forcing her unconscious, and other acts. The People report includes a photo of Smithline in a towel, which shows a scar on her thigh that she mentions in interviews and claims was caused by Manson.
Smithline told People that she began healing only after talking to other women about their experiences with Manson in 2020. She said meeting others, including Wood, helped ease “those feelings of guilt and shame.”
In new court documents, Smithline said he felt “manipulated” by the women into making the allegations. She said in an announcement of support that she denied the abuse when she spoke with Wood in 2020.
“When I said, no it didn’t happen to me and it wasn’t my experience, I think that Ms. Wood said that I couldn’t remember it didn’t mean it didn’t happen,” Smithline said in her filing. .
Smithline filed a federal lawsuit in 2021 accusing Manson of sexual assault, human trafficking and wrongful imprisonment. A judge dismissed the case last month after his attorney, Jay Ellwanger, withdrew from his case and Smithline failed to respond to a court request to decide on new representation.
Elwanger also represented “Game of Thrones” actor Esme Bianco, A Manson accuser who settled his claim out of court last month. Smithline said in its announcement that Bianco suggested Ellwanger as a possible representation.
Smithline accused Ellwanger of including “false” claims of violence and non-consensual sexual activity in its 2021 complaint in the US District Court of Central California.
Ellwanger said he could not go into detail about Smithline’s allegations against him, citing ethical obligations of client confidentiality. He denied the characterization of his representation as “clearly and verifiably false.”
Manson’s attorney Howard King said Thursday that Smithline’s testimony proves the allegations against his client are untrue.
“As we’ve always said, the #MeToo campaign of lies against Brian Warner is going to go down as one of the greatest hoaxes of all time,” King said. “Sick women were manipulated by unscrupulous individuals looking to create their own brands. And their own vendettas followed.”
Wood has denied allegations in Manson’s defamation suit, including a claim that he forged a letter from the FBI to persuade other women to take part in his documentary about the abuse, “Phoenix Rising,” which aired on HBO last year.
In a counter-movement, Wood’s attorney accused Manson of filing the defamation suit in retaliation for his decision to go public with allegations of abuse. The motion accuses Manson of trying to silence Wood.
Wood testified to a House Judiciary subcommittee in 2018 that she was raped twice, first by an abusive partner and then by a man in a bar’s storage closet. He did not name them at the hearing.
In an Instagram post in 2021, she accused Manson of “dressing me up when I was a teenager” and said he “horribly abused me for years.”
Manson has not been charged with any crimes related to Wood’s allegations. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department submitted a case for review to the district attorney’s office in September after a 19-month investigation by the Special Victims Unit.
The prosecutor’s office has not provided a public update on whether Manson will face charges.
This article was originally published NBCNews.com
#Marilyn #Manson #accuser #alleges #Evan #Rachel #Wood #pressured #alleging #abuse
