Esmé Bianco is currently in the midst of a lawsuit against Marilyn Manson, accusing the shock rocker of rape and abuse alongside violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. Now in a new claim obtained by Rolling Stone, Bianco said Manson allegedly made Deftones remove all her video footage contributions "to be used as part of the stage set for the band's current tour."
In the legal filing, Bianco's lawyers stated: "In exchange for providing her images, Ms. Bianco expected an economic benefit from significant public exposure via the band's worldwide tour and the opportunity to continue working with the highly sought-after creative director who oversaw the project." The filing further claims that Manson confronted Deftones over the footage, and that according to Bianco "[Manson] flipped out and was having a complete meltdown about the fact that I was working with Deftones and … they decided to cut my footage."
The claim further states that Manson "used his power and influence in the entertainment industry to interfere with Ms. Bianco's ability to continue working with Deftones." Manson is currently under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for accusations of domestic violence between 2009 and 2011.
Manson is currently dealing with a few lawsuits, including one against Evan Rachel Wood and her friend Illma Gore for defamation, emotional distress, and "impersonation over the internet" on March 2. In the lawsuit, Manson's lawyer accuses Wood and Gore of conspiring to paint Manson as "a rapist and abuser." This lawsuit from Manson surfaced only a few weeks after Wood's documentary Phoenix Rising was announced to be released on HBO, which Wood deemed questionable.
"There will come a time when I can share more about the events of the past year. Until then, I'm going to let the facts speak for themselves." Manson also posted the entirety of his lawsuit against Wood and Gore on Google Drive with public access.
Wood said that she feels she has the truth on her side, and questions the timing of Manson's lawsuit given it hits right before the release of Phoenix Rising.
"I can't speak about any of the specific allegations of the lawsuit, but I am not scared. I am sad because this is how it works. This is what pretty much every survivor that tries to expose someone in a position of power goes through. This is part of the retaliation that keeps survivors quiet. This is why people don't want to come forward. This was expected.
"I'm very confident I have the truth on my side and that the truth will come out and this this [lawsuit] is clearly timed before the documentary — there's a reason. Again, I'm not doing this [film] to clear my name, I'm doing this to protect people. I'm doing this to sound the alarm that there is a dangerous person out there and I don't want anybody getting near him. People can think whatever they want about me, I have to let the legal process run its course. I'm steady as a rock."
