*T/W: This article contains details of assault that may be triggering to some. Reader discretion is advised.
Evan Rachel Wood is a multitalented actress, model and musician. She is a recipient of a Critics’ Choice Television Award as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations. Born into a family of actors and artists, she’s a veteran in the industry, having been acting since the young age of 7. She’s also the survivor of sexual assault. In 2016, Wood told a Rolling Stone reporter that she had been raped twice “many years ago”, once by a “significant other” and another time by a “bar owner”. Now, Wood has come forward with a name and her story. She’s publically calling out Brian Warner, better known as controversial rocker Marilyn Manson.
In a post on Instagram, the ‘Westworld’ actress stated that she would “no longer be silent”, having been afraid of the backlash that might result in naming her assailant. In an earlier post, she revealed that she kept silent for fear of “someone trying to discredit [her] experience” as, at the time, the press had already been labelling her as someone who was “crazy”. That will no longer stop Wood, who has called out Manson after he subjected her to abuse that included brainwashing and manipulation. Wood met Manson when she was 18 and he was 36 before they first got together in January 2007, and engaged in January 2010.
They broke up later in 2010. Later on, in 2018, Wood appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to support the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act. At the time, she did not name her abuser, but she did go into detail as to the extent of the abuse she had to endure.
“It started slow but escalated over time, including threats against my life, severe gaslighting and brainwashing, [and] waking up to the man that claimed to love me raping what he believed to be my unconscious body. And the worst part: Sick rituals of binding me up by my hands and feet to be mentally and physically tortured until my abuser felt I had proven my love for them.”
In 2019, Wood and a team of advocates, lawyers, and survivors the penned (and eventually helped pass) a law called The Phoenix Act, a domestic violence bill that increased the statute of limitations on domestic violence felonies from three to five years; it also requires police officers to have additional training on intimate partner violence. Here, she again bravely shared her story in order to help in the fight for the law to pass, sharing how she was starved, deprived of sleep, her phone and internet activity was spied on, and she was isolated from her family and friends,
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Since her public statement, at least four other women posted their own allegations against Manson, all of whom detail harrowing experiences with the now 52-year-old that they have claimed included sexual assault, psychological abuse, and/or various forms of coercion, violence, and intimidation.
Manson’s distributing record label has since cut ties with him, stating:
“In light of today’s disturbing allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and other women naming Marilyn Manson as their abuser, Loma Vista will cease to further promote his current album, effective immediately. Due to these concerning developments, we have also decided not to work with Marilyn Manson on any future projects,”
As for his TV appearances, ‘Creepshow’ will replace Manson, who was set to star in the upcoming season while Starz’s ‘American Gods’ (Manson had a short recurring role here) will not air the remaining episode that included Manson until his character has been edited out. Following this, Manson posted a statement to his Instagram account, vehemently denying all accusations made against him.
If you or someone you know would like to speak with someone who is trained to assist sexual assault survivors, please call the [WAO Hotline at +603 7956 3488 or WhatsApp/SMS them at +6018 988 8058] or [Telenita at +603 78770224].
*Cover image credit: @evanrachelwood photographed by @ryanpfluger at @variety / @marilynmanson
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