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Early this morning, Evan Rachel Wood posted a statement on Instagram alleging that her former fiancé, Marilyn Manson, abused her during their relationship.
“The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” she began. “He 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, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
Wood’s relationship with Manson first became public in early 2007, when the Westworld star was 19 years old. At the time, Manson was 36, and had recently filed for divorce from his first wife, Dita Von Teese. Wood and Manson became engaged in 2010 but separated later that year.
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As well as posting her own statement, Wood has shared multiple accounts by other women who claimed to have been subjected to abuse by Manson. The musician has yet to respond to the allegations made on Instagram. BAZAAR.com has reached out to Manson’s representative for comment.
In 2018, a police report was filed against Manson alleging “unspecified sex crimes dating back to 2011.” At the time, Manson’s attorney, Howard E. King, released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that said, “The allegations made to the police were and are categorically denied by Mr. Warner and are either completely delusional or part of a calculated attempt to generate publicity. … Any claim of sexual impropriety or imprisonment at that, or any other, time is false.”
In 2016, Wood revealed in a letter to Rolling Stone that she had been sexually assaulted twice. She wrote, “I have been raped. By a significant other while we were together, and on a separate occasion, by the owner of a bar.” In the letter she revealed, “The first time I was unsure that if it was done by a partner it was still in fact rape, until too late. Also who would believe me.”
In 2019, Wood opened up about sexual assault, without naming names, in conversation with Chanel Miller for BAZAAR.com. “I get a lot of people asking why I haven’t named my abuser,” Wood said. “Part of my story is that I’m too afraid, and I forgive myself for that, and I know that’s not my fault. I don’t feel safe. And that’s one of the reasons I wrote the Phoenix Act. So when people ask why I haven’t named my abuser, it’s because I can’t. I just don’t feel safe enough, and that’s part of the problem.”
She continued, “I mean, he definitely knows that I’m talking about him, I’m sure he’s caught wind of it, and that’s a terrifying thought. But again, the reason that I really decided to go [public] with this was because I found out he had abused other women. That changed everything. It helped me feel stronger, because it wasn’t just about me—I’m not just fighting for me anymore.”
If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or find support online at rainn.org.
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