Marilyn Manson Settles Second Sexual Assault Lawsuit This Year
For the second time this year, Marilyn Manson has settled a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault, this one filed by Jane Doe in 2021 amid a group of accusations that emerged against the singer.
The latest settled suit was due to go to trial next week. In January, Manson, the rocker whose real name is Brain Warner, settled a similar but separate suit filed by the actress Esmè Bianco.
The most recently settled suit is the one that was re-filed in 2021 after it was initially dismissed due to the statute of limitations, a judge arguing the allegations were "not sufficient to invoke the delayed discovery rule." Doe's subsequent refiling contained more details of her accusations against the musician. How, she has now said that repeated threats and harassment have moved her to settle.
"I was fully prepared for trial and never in a million years thought I would ever settle, but over the past two-and-a-half years I have silently endured threats, bullying, harassment and various forms of intimidation that have intensified over the past few weeks," Doe tells Rolling Stone in a statement from Thursday (Sept. 28.)
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
She continues, "Marilyn Manson attended my deposition, and I was forced to answer seven hours of aggressive questioning with him staring at me from across the table. … This almost never happens, as it's cruel, and that a main reason for it would be to intimidate and inflict emotional distress on a victim."
In a separate statement, Manson attorney Howard King says, "Brian is pleased that, just as previous lawsuits were abandoned without payment or settled for pennies on the dollar, this plaintiff has now agreed to drop her suit in exchange for an insurance payment representing a fraction of her demands and far less than the cost to Brian of proceeding to trial."
Content warning: The following contains descriptions of alleged sexual assault.
In the amended complaint from 2021, Doe accused Manson of raping her in 2011, but said she "cannot be certain of the exact moment that she repressed the memories of the forced oral and vaginal rape, but knows that it was sometime in the hours or at most very few days after the vaginal rape."
READ MORE: Marilyn Manson Teasing First New Music Since Sexual Assault Accusations
She also claimed Manson said he would "bash her head in" if she reported it to police. As reported by Spin, she accused the singer of forcing her "to have sex with him, and to be on top of him during sex. She would pray for Warner to pass out during intercourse. When this happened, [she] would try to slip away and get some sleep, but the moment she moved, Warner would wake up and demand to resume the sexual activity."
She further claimed Manson told her "about his relationship with [actress and fellow accuser] Evan Rachel Wood and that he had wanted to kill her. He told [Doe] about a time he had tied Ms. Wood to a chair and pointed a gun at her. He said he considered killing Ms. Wood, but then decided to be merciful."
Marilyn Manson Accusations
In 2021, Wood banded with at least four other women to publicize their accusations simultaneously. Wood claimed Manson "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."
In 2022, Manson sued Wood for defamation. "There will come a time when I can share more about the events of the past year," the singer said. "Until then, I'm going to let the facts speak for themselves."
One of Manson's other accusers, Ashley Morgan Smithline, later recanted her allegation. Smithline initially sued him and spoke to People about her claims. A judge dismissed that suit earlier this year.
Manson has refuted all accusations. "My art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality," he said in 2021. "My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how and why others are now choosing to misrepresent the past."
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available. Please visit RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) online or dial 1-800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).