07 Mar MARILYN MANSON SUES EVAN RACHEL WOOD

Rocker Marilyn Manson is suing his former fiancée Evan Rachel Wood for defamation, emotional distress, and impersonation over the internet after she accused him of abusing her during their relationship.

Manson, real name Brian Warner, is the transgressive Goth rocker who made a career out of shocking the conventional Christian morality of middle America.

He has responded to accusations by Wood of sexual abuse by accusing the actress, a teen star who has gone on to have a successful TV and film career, and her friend Illma Gore of portraying Warner ‘as a rapist and abuser — a malicious falsehood that has derailed Warner’s successful music, TV, and film career.’

His complaint also alleges ‘a conspiracy’ concocted by the two women to take Warner down.

Gore and Wood appear in ‘Phoenix Rising’, a film due to be released on HBO in March, which charts Wood’s accusations against Warner, which began with her references to an anonymised allegation and culminated in Wood naming him in February 2021 as her alleged abuser on Instagram.

Four other women made similar allegations and, in the aftermath, Warner was dropped by his label, booking agent, and manager, and his forthcoming appearances were all cancelled.

The claim includes claims of the intentional infliction of emotional distress, and other causes of action include defamation, hacking Warner’s email, impersonation, and fraud.

A November 2021 Rolling Stone investigation based on nine months of research, court documents, and interviews with more than 55 people who have known Warner at various points throughout his life, detailed allegations of abuse against Warner made by more than a dozen women.

Separately, Manson is the defendant to four civil claims by alleged victims, in the latest example in the post- Me Too era of litigation by both alleged perpetrators and their alleged victims over allegations of abusive male behaviour.