Marilyn Manson has responded to statements made by actress Evan Rachel Wood and four other women that accuse him of physical and emotional abuse, calling the accusations "horrible distortions of reality."
Manson wrote the following statement on his Instagram late last night (Feb. 1st): "Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth."
Yesterday (Feb 1st), Evan Rachel Wood officially named Brian Warner, a.k.a. Marilyn Manson, as her abuser. Footage surfaced last year of Wood's testimony in front of California state senators last to create the Phoenix Act in California. The law extends the statute of limitations on domestic violence felonies from three to five years, as well as requiring police officers to undergo more training in regards to domestic partner violence.
As Wood made her announcement, she was signal-boosting other women who began speaking of the abuse they alleged Manson caused to them. She also boosted a Twitter thread from this past fall of a former Manson personal assistant backing her claims.
On Instagram, Wood wrote "The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson. He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrificly 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."
She concluded by writing "I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent."
Wood's testimony detailed being mentally and physically tortured by an older man when she was 18-years-old. It was public knowledge that Wood began dating Marilyn Manson in 2006 when she was 18 and he was 36. You can see the details of her accusations here. Manson alluded to similar incidents to the ones she described in a 2009 interview with Spin.
After the news surfaced yesterday, Manson's label, Loma Vista, cut all ties with the artist, telling Variety:
“In light of today’s disturbing allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and other women naming Marilyn Manson as their abuser, Loma Vista will cease to further promote his current album, effective immediately,” the label's statement reads. “Due to these concerning developments, we have also decided not to work with Marilyn Manson on any future projects.”
