One in three women have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. Sadly, Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood is one of these statistics. In February 2018, Wood publicly spoke in front of the U.S. Congress and California Senate about a past abusive partner, advocating for a bill to better protect sexual-assault survivors. Wood’s abuser was never identified, leading to much speculation of their identity by the media and fans.  

Finally, on February 1st 2021, Wood revealed the identity of her former abusive partner. “The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” she claimed in her statement posted to Instagram.  

Wood and Manson met and started dating when she was 18 and he was 36, making their relationship public in 2007, despite the wide age gap. The two became engaged in 2010, yet called off the brief engagement seven months later. Wood claims that Manson started grooming her when she was a teenager and horrifically abused her for years. Going on to state that he brainwashed and manipulated her into submission. Wood finished her statement by saying, “I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I’m 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.”  

Marilyn Manson, his name being a combination of American beauty Marilyn Monroe and old cult leader Charles Manson, is known for his controversial and shocking stage personality, being dubbed an iconic figure in heavy metal music. 

In Wood’s testimony to the U.S. Congress and California Senate, she detailed the abuse she endured from Manson, claiming he would cut her off from close friends and family, exhibit rage towards her, demonstrate bouts of extreme jealousy, and threaten her. Woods explained that he broke her down through starvation and sleep deprivation, and by threatening to kill her. Manson would also call her a “Jew” in a derogatory manner and draw swastikas on her bedside table.

Wood spoke about “sick rituals” in which she would be bound up by the hands and feet to be mentally and physically tortured until Manson felt she had “proven her love for him.” 

“In this moment, while I was tied up and being beaten and being told unspeakable things, I truly felt like I could die.” After her relationship with the controversial musician, Wood says she dealt with severe PTSD that included nightmares and paranoia, adding that she only began getting professional help after she was hospitalized following two suicide attempts. The actress has also struggled with depression, addiction, and agoraphobia following the relationship. 

Since Wood made her statement public, multiple women have come forward sharing similar stories of abuse, manipulation, assault, and violent behavior. 

Manson’s former assistant, Ashley Walters, posted a statement claiming that Manson would use torture tactics on her, gaslight her, use spy devices to gather personal information, control when she slept or ate, and isolate her from friends and family, among other poor behavior. Walters claims she now suffers from PTSD and depression, going on to say “Brian Warner needs to be held accountable.”

Model Sarah McNeilly has been identified as another victim, sharing via an Instagram post that Manson would lock her in rooms when she was “bad,” control who she interacted with, verbally berate her for hours, and had constant violent outbursts, with McNeilly proceeding to state that Manson once threatened to bash her face in with a baseball bat.

Past model and former partner Ashley Lindsay Morgan came forward claiming that Manson would throw her out of the house in next to no clothing if she fell asleep, controlled when she ate, would stop her from leaving the house at her own free will, and coerced Morgan into buying him Nazi memorablia from a trip she took to Thailand, despite her being Jewish.   

More recently, ex girlfriend of Manson and Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco crafted a statement in which she claims that Marilyn Manson abused and trafficked her. Bianco states, “It’s important that we understand that people can be abused and trafficked by intimate partners, boyfriends, and husbands. We must address the misconceptions around human trafficking because it can happen to anyone like it happened to me.”

Actress and previous fiance of Manson, Rose McGowan, posted a tweet following Woods statement, saying, “I stand with Evan Rachel Wood and other brave women who have come forward. It takes years to recover from abuse and I send them strength on their journey to recovery. Let the truth be revealed. Let the healing begin.”

Despite the concerning amount of allegations, many not documented in this article, Manson’s former Wife, Dita Von Teese, revealed that she never experienced abuse during her relationship with Manson. Teese shared, “Please know that the details made public do not match my personal experience during our seven years together as a couple. Had they, I would not have married him in December 2005. I left 12 months later due to infidelity and drug abuse.”

Manson has released a statement following the accusations against him. In an Instagram Post Manson goes on to say, “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.”

Manson’s record label Loma Vista and his longtime manager Tony Ciulla have both dropped the shock-rocker as a client. He had a recurring role on the Starz show, “American Gods,” however the network has decided to cut ties with him. Manson has also been dropped by his label and booking agent, Creative Arts Agency.