Marilyn Manson's Sexual Assault Lawsuit to be Reconsidered in Court

A lawsuit that alleged Marilyn Manson sexually assaulted his former assistant will be reconsidered in court only weeks after it was initially dismissed.

L.A. Superior Court Judge Steve Cochran granted the motion to reconsider the filing Ashley Walters brought against Manson (whose real name is Brian Warner). Cochran initially dismissed the case in December, but reversed that decision after Assembly Bill 250 went into effect. The new law gives an alleged victim more time to file a claim.

Per Entertainment Weekly, Walters filed her lawsuit in 2021. Walters said she met Manson through social media and was invited to his home to discuss a potential collaboration. She alleged that once she was arrived, Manson pushed her on the bed and tried to put her hand inside his underwear.

Marilyn Manson Denies The Assault Allegations Against Him

Manson has denied the allegations against him. His lawyer, Howard King, shared a lengthy statement with the outlet.

"Ashley Walters has been given the right to pursue a narrow claim of sexual assault under the newly enacted law, a claim that will not survive the next motion for summary judgment," King said. "While Ms. Walters made several now-irrelevant claims about so-called workplace harassment, she has no pending claims for sexual assault as defined in the penal code, as would be required under the new law, nor is she permitted under the ruling to add new claims."

He also said: "The undeniable fact is that Mr. Warner never committed any sexual assault which undoubtedly is the reason the District Attorney declined Ms. Walter's request that Mr. Warner be criminally charged."

Allegations Against Manson Date Back To At Least 2021

Allegations of sexual assault against Manson date back to at least 2021, when his ex-girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood named the singer as her abuser. "I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent," she wrote on Instagram in February 2021.

The pair dated when Wood was 18 and Manson was 36. Manson denied Wood's allegations.

“Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality,” he wrote on the same platform. “My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how – and why – others are now choosing to misinterpret the past, that is the truth.”

More women accused Manson of abuse and assault after Wood made her allegations public. Manson was dropped from his record label, Loma Vista Recordings, as well as by CAA. "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," a statement from Loma Vista read.

Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco also accused Manson of abuse in 2021. "I basically felt like a prisoner," she wrote. "“I came and went at his pleasure. Who I spoke to was completely controlled by him. I called my family hiding in the closet."