Marilyn Manson's lawsuit was dismissed. Image Source: NME
Case Dismissed!
According to reports, a Los Angeles court has dismissed a lawsuit brought against Marilyn Manson by a former assistant, Ashley Walters, who claimed sexual harassment, abuse, sexual violence, intentional infliction of mental distress, and wrongful termination in her case filed on March 2021. She had originally named Marilyn Manson Records, Inc. as a co-defendant in her lawsuit, explaining that she had repressed memories of Marilyn Manson's alleged abuse until recently, and that she felt intimidated by Marilyn Manson's legal professionals for making an appearance in his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood's recently released Phoenix Rising documentary.
Ashley Walters worked for Marilyn Manson from 2010 to 2011 and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael L. Stern on Wednesday, i.e., May 25, 2022, announced that Ashley Walters (plaintiff) was not able to provide with sufficient facts to keep the action alive in court, and it was too late. As a result, the lawsuit is dismissed with prejudice. As a result, Ashley Walters will be unable to sue Marilyn Manson in the future for the same charges.
Marilyn Manson has rejected all of the charges made against him by Ashley Walters, claiming that she and other accusers were attempting to profit from the #MeToo movement by mounting a concerted campaign against him.
Marilyn Manson approached Ashley Walters in 2010 to praise and compliment her photography, and when they met, Marilyn Manson ordered her to strip for shots and finally pushed her hands into his underpants, according to her complaint. She characterized her first meeting with Marilyn Manson as perplexing and frightening, but she also expressed excitement about their creative connection and shared artistic interests, and she chose to disregard the traumatic experience of being pinned to his bed.
Marilyn Manson allegedly promoted a violent atmosphere, according to Ashley Walters, who described an event in which he shattered the door of a cupboard where she was hiding from him. According to Ashley Walters, Marilyn Manson allegedly threw a fake skull at actress Evan Rachel Wood with such force that it left a mark on her stomach. Marilyn Manson allegedly had her work for 48 hours straight and occasionally invited his pals to sexually attack her, according to her.
Tanya Sukhija-Cohen, Ashley Walters' attorney, told Rolling Stone that they are deeply disappointed by the court's decision and that if allowed to stand, the decision would severely limit the ability of victims of abuse to seek justice through the legal system. Ashley’s attorney added that while the court’s decision was based on the timeliness of Ashley Walter’s claims and not the merits, they disagreed with the court’s interpretation of the law. The attorney further added that they remain confident that a full review of the facts, in this case, will result in a successful appeal, which we plan on filing.
Ashley Walters went on to say that no one gets to choose how they deal with abuse or threats and that she is disheartened by the court's decision today, not just because of the case, but because of the message, it sends to other survivors trying to balance how they deal with abuse with arbitrary court deadlines.
After Evan Wood accused her former fiancé, Marilyn Manson of grooming and sexual assault on Twitter in February 2021, more than a dozen accusers stepped forward, including Ashley Walters. Three women have filed complaints against Marilyn Manson, including Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, model Ashley Morgan Smithline, and Jane Doe. Three cases are still in the works. Jane Doe's lawsuit was rejected by a court in September, which ruled that her accusations were "insufficient to invoke the delayed discovery rule." She refiled in a matter of days, and her case is still pending and according to her claims she dated the artist in 2011.
Evan Rachel Wood revealed the details of Marilyn Manson's alleged torture and manipulation in her documentary. Image Source: US Weekly
As the abuse claims escalated, Marilyn Manson's record company, Loma Vista Recordings, pulled him from the roster, and scenes he'd recorded for the TV series American Gods and Creepshow were edited out. In February 2021, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Agency said that it would begin an investigation into the charges against Manson, and in November, the department searched Manson's residence. Marilyn Manson surrendered himself to the authorities over a warrant issued in 2019 and plead not guilty to the charges of two misdemeanor charges of assault against a photographer in September.
Talking about the documentary 'Phoenix Rising', Evan Rachel Wood worked in secret with filmmaker Amy Berg on the film, which revealed details of Marilyn Manson's alleged torture and manipulation. Evan Rachel Wood also said that while filming a music video, Marilyn Manson sexually abused her on camera. Marilyn Manson is now suing her for defamation, but in a March interview on The View, Wood said, "I'm not terrified."
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) or visit their website to receive confidential support.
