In February Marilyn Manson was hit by disturbing allegations leveled by his former fiancée Evan Rachel Wood. In an Instagram post, Wood said that Manson was abusive and that he’d “brainwashed and manipulated” her, concluding by saying that she’s “done living in fear of retaliation, slander or blackmail.”
Several of Manson’s prior partners backed her up, revealing that they also experienced PTSD as a result of their relationship with him. A further suit making similar accusations of sexual battery was filed by Games of Thrones’ Esmé Bianco in April. Consequences were swift: he was dropped by record label Lorna Vista Recordings and his TV appearances were pulled.
Now Deadline is reporting that Manson’s West Hollywood apartment has been raided by the LAPD, apparently in connection with the Bianco lawsuit. On early Monday morning, Sheriff’s investigators served a search warrant at the property and seized hard drives and “media storage units”. Manson wasn’t in attendance during the search.
The musician and actor’s attorney Howard E. King has dismissed Bianco’s lawsuit as “provably false”, saying in a statement to City News Service:
“This suit was only filed after my client refused to be shaken down by Ms. Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their outrageous financial demands based on conduct that simply never occurred. We will vigorously contest these allegations in court and are confident that we will prevail.”
Despite that confidence, Manson’s lawyers failed to get the case dismissed, with a U.S. District Court Judge ruling in October that:
“A reasonable jury could find that the effects of Warner’s alleged unconscionable acts, including the perceived threat to Plaintiff’s safety, immigration status, and career, persisted years after her last contact with Warner.”
No trial date has been fixed, though expect this to be a hotly contested legal battle with a lot of money on the line. Even if he wins he’s not out of the woods, as there are three other pending civil lawsuits seeking financial compensation for (variously) sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking, and unlawful imprisonment.
Whatever else happens, Marilyn Manson‘s acting and musical career are on the rocks for the foreseeable future, if not permanently.