Embattled rock icon Marilyn Manson has dropped his lawsuit against his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood and will pay her $327,000 in attorney fees, his attorneys confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, sued the “Westworld” actor in March 2022 for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The couple dated for three years, starting when she was 19 and he was 37.
Evan Rachel Wood, in an image from “Showbiz Kids,” a candid documentary about the challenges of being a child actor.
(HBO)
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses Wood of hatching plans to fabricate and profit from sexual abuse allegations against Manson, among other accusations, according to the complaint.
Most of that suit was dismissed after Wood sought an anti-SLAPP waiver, a legal maneuver used to quash frivolous and costly lawsuits that can silence critics, and Manson was ordered to pay $327,000 in attorney fees.
Manson appealed but settled, according to Wood's lawyers.
A call to Manson's legal representative was not immediately answered.
Manson initially offered to pay some of the fees in exchange for confidentiality terms and a “mutually acceptable” public statement, according to Wood's lawyers.
Wood's legal team rejected the proposal. Manson eventually agreed to the full agreement without confidentiality.
“Manson… filed a lawsuit against Ms. Wood as a publicity stunt to attempt to undermine the credibility of his many accusers and revive his faltering career,” Michael J. Kump, Wood's attorney, said in a statement. “But his attempt to silence and intimidate Ms Wood failed. As the trial court correctly concluded, Warner’s claims were without merit.”
The crux of the lawsuit revolved around Manson's accusation that Wood and artist Illma Gore had orchestrated a campaign to portray him as a rapist and destroy his career.
Wood alleged in 2022 that Manson had “essentially raped” her during the filming of Manson's 2007 “Heart-Shaped Glasses” music video.
That allegation was vigorously denied by Manson's legal team, which ultimately filed the complaint.
“Game of Thrones” actress Esme Bianco also sued the musician in 2021, alleging sexual assault, sexual assault and human trafficking. They settled the lawsuit in 2023 after Bianco said the Los Angeles County Dist. Lawyer. George Gascón “mishandled” the case.
Ashley Walters, Manson's former assistant, also sued and alleged sexual assault and harassment. Court proceedings are expected to resume in January.
In 2023, Manson also settled with an unnamed woman who alleged that he raped her in 2011.
