Marilyn Manson accused of sexual assault in new lawsuit

Marilyn Manson is facing another lawsuit alleging sexual assault.

In documents obtained by Rolling Stone, an anonymous Jane Doe accuses the embattled musician, born Brian Warner, of sexual and emotional abuse dating back to the mid-'90s when she was underage.

In the suit, Doe alleges that Warner first assaulted her in 1995 when she was 16 after a concert in Dallas, and again later that year at a show in New Orleans. Doe maintained contact with Warner, and eventually joined him and his band on the road when she was over 18 in 1999, during which she alleges Warner would "groom, harass, and sexually abuse" her. 

"While she was still a child, Defendant Warner had purposefully and intentionally laid the groundwork necessary to intimidate and control her," the suit reads. "Despite reaching the legal age of majority, that power to psychologically intimidate and control Plaintiff was still present."

Doe alleges that during a Manson tour when she was 19, Warner "perpetuated his grooming, manipulation, exploitation and sexual assault" and "coerced her to have sex with him."

"Defendant Warner controlled what Plaintiff could do, who could touch Plaintiff, and who he wanted Plaintiff to be with sexually, all while providing Plaintiff with drugs," the suit reads.

The suit also names Interscope and Nothing Records, the then-label of Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, alleging the companies were "well-aware of Defendant Warner's obsession with sexual violence and childhood sexual assault."

Representatives for Warner and Interscope and its parent company did not immediately reply to Rolling Stone's request for comment. Reznor issued a statement in 2021 saying he "dislike[s]" Warner and "cut ties with him nearly 25 years ago."

Since Warner's ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood publicly accused him of abuse in 2021, several other women have filed lawsuits against Warner alleging sexual misconduct, including actor Esmé Bianco, model Ashley Morgan Smithline and Warner's former assistant Ashley Walters, as well as another anonymous Jane Doe.

Smithline and Walters' cases were dismissed, while Bianco's was settled earlier this month. The Doe case is still ongoing.

Warner has denied all allegations. In 2022, he filed a defamation lawsuit against Wood around the premiere of her Phoenix Rising documentary, during which she made further allegations against him.

If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.

Monday, January 30, 2023 at 2:25PM by Josh Johnson Permalink