In a legal saga that has drawn significant attention from the public and the media, Marilyn Manson, the controversial rock musician, has been ordered to pay over $325,000 in legal fees to Evan Rachel Wood, Rolling Stone reports.
Wood publicly accused Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, of engaging in abusive behavior during their relationship. Wood detailed allegations of manipulation, coercion, and psychological abuse, sparking a broader conversation about the treatment of women in the entertainment world and beyond.
In March 2022, Manson initiated a defamation lawsuit against Wood and her friend Illma Gore, alleging a conspiracy to portray him as “a rapist and abuser.” Manson contended that Wood and Gore orchestrated the depiction by furnishing potential accusers with checklists and scripts detailing specific allegations of abuse against Warner. He denounced their actions as “malicious falsehoods” and asserted that they caused significant harm to his career.
However, a segment of Manson‘s legal action suffered setbacks in 2023. Beaudet, ruling against Manson, dismissed his assertions that Wood had orchestrated the recruitment, coordination, and coercion of women to fabricate false accusations against him using predetermined guidelines and scripts. Beaudet also rejected Manson‘s claim that Wood forged an FBI letter. Additionally, Beaudet deemed Wood and Gore‘s allegations that Manson‘s 1996 film Groupie depicted an underage individual as a “protected activity.”
