MOVIE NEWS – Actress Evan Rachel Wood has issued a response following the announcement that Marilyn Manson will not face charges for domestic violence and sexual assault after a four-year investigation. Manson (whose real name is Brian Warner) and Wood were in a relationship between 2007 and 2010, during which they became engaged before ultimately breaking up.

In 2021, Wood publicly accused Manson of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, leading to over a dozen women coming forward with similar allegations. For the past four years, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has investigated these claims, though details regarding the specific allegations they focused on have not been disclosed.

On January 24, District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman praised “the courage and resilience of the women who came forward.” However, his office announced it would not pursue charges, citing that “allegations of domestic violence fall outside the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.” That same day, Wood addressed the decision on her private Instagram account (via PEOPLE), sharing her thoughts with her followers:

“My lawyer and I were advised by the Deputy District Attorneys and the Sheriff deputies who investigated the case that there was compelling evidence to support our claims, but that the statute of limitations prevents many of those crimes from being prosecuted. We always knew that the statute of limitations would be a barrier, which is why we created the Phoenix Act so that other victims wouldn’t have to experience this outcome.”

Wood co-created the Phoenix Act in 2019 in collaboration with legislators and other survivors of domestic abuse. This law extended the statute of limitations for felony domestic violence cases in California from three to five years and introduced mandatory training programs for law enforcement officers to better assist abuse survivors.

“Unfortunately, the Phoenix Act cannot help in cases which occurred before it was passed, but I hope this shines a light on why it’s so important to advocate for better laws. Evidence of violent crimes should not have an expiration date. I am grateful for the work law enforcement has done, and I am endlessly proud of all the survivors who risked everything to protect others by speaking the truth.”

Evan Rachel Wood, Esmé Bianco, and the Accusations Against Marilyn Manson

Manson and Wood began their relationship in 2007 when she was 19 and he was 38. They separated in 2010 after becoming engaged. Six years later, Wood revealed that she had been raped by a “significant other.” In February 2021, she directly accused Manson of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. In 2022, Manson filed a lawsuit against Wood for defamation, emotional distress, and other claims, accusing the Westworld actress and her partner of coercing other women into making false accusations against him. That same year, Wood featured in HBO’s Phoenix Rising, a two-part documentary chronicling her experience as a domestic abuse survivor and her fight for justice. Manson eventually dropped the lawsuit in 2024.

In total, 16 women have accused Manson of abuse, with four filing lawsuits alleging sexual assault. Among them is Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, who sued him in 2021 for sexual assault, abuse, and battery. Her case was settled out of court. In a statement to the Associated Press, Bianco, who was part of the criminal investigation, expressed her frustration at the outcome:

“Once again, our justice system has failed survivors. Not the individual prosecutors and detectives who worked for years on this case, but the system that made them do so with one hand tied behind their collective backs.”

Meanwhile, Manson’s attorney, Howard King, said the musician was “very pleased” with the decision, reiterating his client’s innocence.

Source: MovieWeb