Marylin Manson Accused of Grooming Former Girlfriend
On Monday, February 1 American actress and model, Evan Rachel Wood posted an Instagram post exposing her story of abuse and grooming from Brian Warner, or who the world knows as Marilyn Manson.
In the post, Wood posted a white tile post with the text that goes on to say, “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.”
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, grooming is defined as the act of becoming close with a child or teenager in order to persuade sexual acts or submission. These signs include being involved with older partners, being secretive about where they are spending their time and who they are spending it with, as well as being gifted with money, clothes or other things in order to gain trust from their abuser.
Wood was only a mere 19 years old when she and Manson started dating and was later engaged to the then 38-year-old musician in 2010 before breaking up shortly after, however, the abuse and grooming started before in her teenage Hollywood years.
In light of these allegations, more and more women have come forward telling their stories about the abuse that was brought to them by the heavy metal musician throughout the years. There have been five woman that have come forward in light of Wood’s allegations—Ashley Walters, Sarah McNeilly, Ashley Lindsay Morgan, an artist who goes by the name Gabriella, and Wood—all took to Instagram to describe their experiences with Manson.
Sarah McNeilly, another victim of Manson, wrote that she was tortured during her time with Manson, stating that he threatened to “bash her face in with a baseball bat,” according to Vanity Fair.
The article lists quotes and stories from all women who have come forward to talk about their experiences with the rock star, and the terrifying things he has done or said to them.
The same day, Manson posted a simple photo, very similar to the original post from Wood, stating that his personal relationships have always been entirely consensual with “like-minded” partners. He denies any allegations that they were manipulated and forced into any sexual situations.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau is investigating the case of the incidents that occurred over 10 years ago after a woman spoke to authorities about the abuse, according to ABC news. Less than three weeks after Wood’s initial testament on social media, Lieutenant Adams declined to release any information or names of the person that brought them this information as it is a domestic violence case.
While these allegations have been heating up over the past month, according to People, Manson’s label Loma Vista Recording dropped him from their lineup and will stop promoting his current album. They also expressed that they will not be collaborating with him in the future.
However, this is not the first time she has come out and talked about her experience. According to Rolling Stone magazine, Wood briefly talked about her sexual abuse history in 2016, however, did not name any names.
In 2018 Wood testified in Washington, DC to advocate that all 50 states issue and uphold a Sexual Assault Survivor’s Bill of Rights (you can read the whole testimony here).
Her emotional testimony went viral and received love from all over the world and the #MeToo movement. In the documented testimony via HuffPost, she states “In this moment, while I was tied up and being beaten and being told unspeakable things, I truly felt like I could die, not just because my abused said to me, ‘I could kill you right now,’ but because at that moment, I felt like I left my body. I was too afraid to run, he would find me. I was too afraid to fight back.”
According to Vulture, Wood and California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019 created the Phoenix Act to extend the limitations on domestic violence from three years to five. Wood explained in her testimony that it took her a while to press charges, and only did so when she found out that her abuse had hurt other women. She also advocated for police to gain more training on the issue of intimate partner violence.
Wood called it the Phoenix Act because she does “believe that you can come back from tragedy, sometimes even stronger than you were before” she said.
Wood and all of the women who stepped forward have continued to receive support after their stories went public and continue to fight against the injustices of domestic violence cases in modern day government.
If you or someone you know have experienced sexual assault or domestic violence, please go to rainn.org or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).