Marilyn Manson – real name Brian Werner – originally sued his accuser Evan Rachel Wood and her friend Illma Gore in 2022 in an emotional distress and defamation lawsuit. At the time, Manson accused Wood and Gore of conspiring to paint him as "a rapist and abuser" after Wood initially named Manson as her abuser in February 2021. A judge ruled against portions of Manson's lawsuit in 2023 following Wood and Gore's anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motions and ordered Manson to pay the duo roughly $500,000 in attorney fees.
Now according to a report by Rolling Stone, Manson is appealing the 2023 decision against him. Manson once again claims that Wood and Gore "recruited, pressured and coached others to make heinous, untrue accusations" regarding his alleged abuse, further noting that Wood and Gore "hack[ed] his accounts… manufactur[ed] fictitious e-mails; and 'swatt[ed]" his home.
Manson's lawyers also cite a letter from an FBI agent that they claim is forged and was meant to "create the false appearance that Warner was under FBI investigation and his 'victims' were in danger."
A segment of the letter reads: "Ms. Evan Rachel Wood is a key witness in connection to a criminal investigation in Los Angeles, California involving an international and well known public figure… Contact for more information regarding the safety of victims [sic] Human and Sex Trafficking crimes."
The letter was originally part of Wood's custodial battle over her son against her ex-husband Jamie Bell. Manson's lawyers state "the forged letter would be used to recruit, encourage, and convince people to claim that they were abused by Warner, because they were being led to believe that Warner was a threat to their safety and under federal investigation."
The remainder of Manson's case against Wood and Gore is still headed to trial. As for Manson's music career, he's been forging a comeback in 2024 with (so far) two new songs and a North American tour with Five Finger Death Punch and Slaughter To Prevail.
