Marilyn Manson will not face criminal charges in a series of sexual assault and domestic violence allegations, Los Angeles County prosecutors announced Friday.
The musician, whose real name is Brian Warner, had been under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department since 2021 after several women came forward to accuse him of rape and abuse. His accusers included “Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood and “Game of Thrones” actress Esme Bianco.
Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement Friday that the statute of limitations had run out on domestic violence allegations and that prosecutors did not believe they could prove the rape charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
“We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to report and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation,” Hochman said in a statement. “While we are unable to bring charges in this case, we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped raise awareness of the challenges faced by survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.”
A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office declined to answer additional questions or say how many victims’ allegations had been considered and dismissed.
A lawyer for Manson, Howard King, said in a statement: “We are very pleased that after a thorough and incredibly lengthy review of all the real evidence, the District Attorney has concluded what we knew and expressed from the beginning – Brian Warner is innocent.
The allegations first surfaced in 2021 after Bianco sued Manson, alleging sexual assault, sexual assault and human trafficking. The two settled Bianco’s lawsuit in 2023. The same year, Manson settled a lawsuit with an unnamed Jane Doe who also alleged rape.
In a statement to the Times, Bianco said: “While I am deeply disappointed by the district attorney’s decision not to file charges in the case against Brian Warner, I am unfortunately not surprised. In our toxic culture of victim blaming; a lack of understanding of coercive control, the complex nature of sexual assault in intimate partnerships, and statutes of limitations that do not support the realities of healing; Prosecutions face an often insurmountable obstacle. Once again, our justice system has failed survivors. »
Wood, who had been in a romantic relationship with Warner for years, saw perhaps the most detailed allegations against Warner, saying the singer first assaulted her during a simulated sex scene at a music video filming in 2007, then proceeded to “bride” for years.
A former aide, Ashley Walters, also sued Manson, alleging harassment and assault.
County Sheriff’s Department investigators raided Manson’s mansion in 2021 and presented a case to the district attorney’s office in 2022. The allegations led Manson to cancel tours and he was dropped by his record label , a rare retreat from an artist who has courted chaos and controversy his entire career.
But years passed without a deposit. Manson returned to tour. Her accusers grew frustrated, with Bianco joining Hochman for a campaign news conference lambasting former Dist. Atty. Last year, George Gascón’s handling of the case.
“Almost four years ago, I did what rape victims are supposed to do – I went to the police,” Bianco said in a statement released by Hochman’s campaign last year. “Despite a thorough investigation and hundreds of pieces of evidence submitted to the District Attorney’s Office, I still await justice. In the meantime, I have received death threats, while my attacker continues to perform publicly. »
Gascón said last October that “new evidence” had come forward in the case but did not detail what it was. The former district attorney did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
For accusers and activists pushing for a prosecution of Manson, the news is “a huge disappointment,” said Caroline Heldman, who has organized rallies supporting Manson’s accusers, including one at Manson’s recent show in Anaheim.
“Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman held a press conference with Manson survivors, and they had high hopes that he would take their claims seriously,” Heldman said. “But now it seems he was using survivors for a publicity stunt. It’s a slap in the face and Exhibit A for why the legal system doesn’t work for survivors, especially if they are a survivor of a famous person. »
Hochman, who appeared in a downtown La Courtroom Friday morning to observe opening arguments in the trial of rapper ASAP Rocky, declined to respond to complaints from Manson’s accusers.
“We will deal with this in due time,” he said.
Manson’s rise to prominence occurred in the mid-1990s, built in part on an extreme stage persona that courted controversy and yielded albums such as 1996’s “Antichrist Superstar.”
In May 2018, then distant. Atty. Jackie Lacey declined to file charges against Manson that included rape of an unconscious person, assault with a deadly weapon and battery in connection with an Oct. 25, 2011, incident, records show.
“The victim was becoming socially acquainted with the suspect,” wrote Deputy Dist. Atty. Darci Purvis in a heavily redacted memo that explained why charges weren’t filed. She cited the statute of limitations on the assault and battery and a “lack of corroboration” on the sexual assault allegation.
The Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau conducted a 19-month investigation, which included serving a search warrant at the musician’s home in November 2021. In September 2022, the case was sent to prosecutors for a decision deposit.
So-Da Gascón said his office is “committed to investing in trauma-informed care for all victims of sexual assault, abuse and intimate partner violence.” We understand how difficult it can be to come forward as a victim, especially when the case involves this level of notoriety, and are dedicated to treating all victims with the highest level of care and respect. »
Last year, Bianco said she waited more than two years in Gascón to decide whether to file criminal charges against Manson. She also said Gascón refused to talk to her about the affair.
Wood, the “Westworld” star, was in a relationship with Manson during the allegations. She got engaged to the singer in 2010, but they later separated.
“He started grooming me when I was a teenager and abused me horribly for years,” Wood wrote in Instagram messages. “I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander or blackmail. »
