Marilyn Manson, the beleaguered Anti-Christ Superstar, has dropped his defamation lawsuit against his ex-fiancé, Evan Rachel Wood, who accused him of “horrifically abusing” and “grooming” her during their relationship. Per Deadline, Manson will pay Wood’s legal fees, totaling about $327,000, as part of the settlement.
Manson sued Wood in 2022 over a documentary Wood starred in called Phoenix Rising, which detailed Manson’s abuse against Wood and others, as well as her fight to extend the statute of limitations for domestic violence cases in California. Wood came forward with her story in a 2018 hearing about the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act. However, she withheld Manson’s stage name—and, for that matter, his real name, Brian Warner (not Paul from The Wonder Years). In 2021, before the premiere of Phoenix Rising, she made his name public. The following year, Manson sued her and artist Illma Gore for defamation, accusing them of conspiring against the “Dope Show” host and painting him as a serial abuser in a confusing and unconvincing lawsuit.
Manson argued unsuccessfully that Wood and Gore had deceived prospective accusers into coming forward by telling them Manson had allegedly assaulted a minor in his 1996 short film, Groupie. Weirdly, Manson’s camp said Wood didn’t make any false statements but should have corrected Gore when she told accusers the still-unnamed actress was a minor. Manson claims the actress was of legal age, but the court didn’t buy his argument and sided with Wood. The court determined that Wood isn’t legally obligated to correct a false statement, especially when she doesn’t have evidence to the contrary.
Manson appealed the decision but ultimately decided to settle. Wood will receive $327,000 for her legal troubles, and he also may still be on the hook for $169,000 to Gore. Meanwhile, Manson can return to being the punchline of rib removal jokes, hanging out with Kanye West, and releasing albums (his latest came out this week—that’s cancel culture for you).
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