According to a published report from Billboard, most charges against Marilyn Manson in his Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases have been dropped. This according to a statement from new Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. He decided the statute of limitations had expired and that there wasn’t enough evidence to land a conviction. There are apparently still a few open cases, and this doesn’t prevent future civil cases and judgements from proceeding. This comes four years after Manson’s home was raided by sheriffs and they built a huge case against him in the meantime, including apparent new evidence submitted last fall, now abandoned. Manson had to pay $325,000 In Evan Rachel Wood’s legal fees last fall
during Manson’s ongoing defamation lawsuit against her, now dropped. Marilyn Manson – real name Brian Warner – has been battling various legal issues. Read the statement below.
The new DA commented:
“We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation. While we are unable to bring charges in this matter, we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault. We also acknowledge and commend them for making an important contribution to extending the statute of limitations for the prosecution of domestic abuse locally and throughout the nation. Due to their efforts, victims of domestic violence have a greater voice in our criminal justice system and prosecutorial offices around the country have improved tools to hold domestic violence abusers accountable for their actions.”
Manson’s lawyer Howard King commented in a statement to Billboard:
“We are very pleased that, after a thorough and incredibly lengthy review of all of the actual evidence, the District Attorney has concluded what we knew and expressed from the start – Brian Warner is innocent.”
https://www.billboard.com/pro/marilyn-manson-wont-be-charged-sexual-assault-allegations/
Manson has suffered the fallout from this with his music and acting career.
“What I can confirm is there was a search warrant that was served this morning,” an L.A. County Sheriff’s source told the magazine. “It’s confirmed it was [Manson’s] address, his location. It was a search warrant for his belongings.”
Among the possessions reportedly seized were hard drives and other media storage units.
At least 15 women — including “Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood — have publicly accused Manson of sexual assault. He is currently facing three lawsuits from women who claim to have been sexually abused by him in the past, including his ex-girlfriend Ashley Morgan Smithline and “Game Of Thrones” actress Esme Bianco.
Manson’s attorney Howard King said in a statement: “Mr. Warner vehemently denies any and all claims of sexual assault or abuse of anyone. These lurid claims against my client have three things in common — they are all false, alleged to have taken place more than a decade ago and part of a coordinated attack by former partners and associates of Mr. Warner who have weaponized the otherwise mundane details of his personal life and their consensual relationships into fabricated horror stories.”
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Bureau is investigating allegation(s) of domestic violence involving Mr. Brian Warner also known as ‘Marilyn Manson,’ who works in the music industry,” the department said in a statement. “The incidents occurred between 2009 and 2011 when Mr. Warner lived in the city of West Hollywood.”
Originally these accusations came via Wood’s post to Instagram, in which Wood shared that Manson “started grooming me when I was a teenager” and “brainwashed and manipulated me into submission..” and she wants “to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him before he ruins any more lives.” In 2019, Wood appeared before the California Senate Public Safety committee on behalf of the Phoenix Act, which seeks to create exceptions to the statute of limitations for domestic violence crimes in the state of California. Although Wood testified and shared many stories as part of that testimony, she declined to name her abuser, saying that “They threatened to kill me or have me killed.” Manson responded to these claims dismissively. He called them “horrible distortions of reality.” Since then many other women and former associates with intimate relationships to Manson have come forward. Mason also fired Twiggy Ramierez from his band over similar claims just a few years ago.