Actress Esmé Bianco (‘Game Of Thrones‘, ‘The Magicians‘) has filed suit against Marilyn Manson (aka Brian Warner) and his former manager Tony Ciulla. In the suit, which was filed today, April 30th, in a California court, she alleges that she was drugged, tortured and raped by Manson during incidents stemming from 2009 to 2011. Her lawsuit follows the public accusations of abuse and human trafficking she made against Manson earlier this year.
Both Bianco and Manson‘s ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood gave testimony of the abuse they suffered in front of a House Judiciary Subcommittee in 2019 (see here and here) while championing The Phoenix Act. At the time they did not name their abuser, though they since have both have come forward against Manson. The Phoenix Act aimed to remove the 3 year statute of limitations for reporting a domestic violence incident in California. It was eventually passed and officially signed into law last year and saw that limit extended to 5 years.
In the suit, it is alleged that Manson “cut Ms. Bianco with a Nazi knife during sex, without her consent, and photographed the cuts on her body.” She also claims he plied her with drugs and threatened and coerced her into sex several times, raping her around May of 2011.
Several other incidents involving allegedly non-consensual sexual acts are mentioned, with the suit stating “These acts include spanking, biting, cutting, and whipping Ms. Bianco’s buttocks, breasts, and genitals for Mr. Warner’s sexual gratification — all without the consent of Plaintiff.” Another incident in which Manson is alleged to have chased her around an apartment with an axe was also detailed.
The human trafficking accusations stem from Manson and his management allegedly flying Bianco from London to the United States to film an unreleased music video for “I Want To Kill You Like They Do In The Movies“. Bianco has claims that Manson plied her with cocaine on that shoot, tying her up and whipping her, while also employing a violet wand on her wounds. A subsequent movie role Manson had promised her also never materialized.
Claims of human ‘unpaid labor’ were also made, with the suit alleging Bianco was apparently forced into “serving and preparing food for Mr. Warner and his guests, cleaning his apartment, consulting on his album, providing uncredited backup vocals during the creative process for the album ‘Born Villain‘, and being offered up to his guests and bandmates to ‘spank.'” “Mr. Warner implied that because he had brought Ms. Bianco to the United States and provided housing, she owed him labor and sexual intimacy.”
Bianco issued a statement to Rollingstone.com on the matter, offering:
“As millions of survivors like myself are painfully aware, our legal system is far from perfect. This is why I co-created the Phoenix Act, a law which gives precious additional healing time to thousands of domestic violence survivors. But while I fight for a more just legal system, I am also pursuing my right to demand my abuser be held to account, using every avenue available to me.
For far too long, my abuser has been left unchecked, enabled by money, fame and an industry that turned a blind eye. Despite the numerous brave women who have spoken out against Marilyn Manson, countless survivors remain silenced, and some of their voices will never be heard. My hope is that by raising mine, I will help to stop Brian Warner from shattering any more lives and empower other victims to seek their own small measure of justice.”
Bianco alleges that Manson‘s now former manager Tony Ciulla and his Ciulla Management company benefitted financially from allowing the abuse to continue. It is also claimed that Ciulla was aware of the alleged abuse being conducted by his client, “Mr. Warner’s former assistants discussed Mr. Warner’s abuse directly with Mr. Ciulla. Mr. Warner’s management had a vested interest in supporting his violent tendencies to encourage the creation of his ‘art’ and the promotion of the brand of Marilyn Manson, and were complicit in Mr. Warner’s abuse of Ms. Bianco.”
Ciulla severed ties with Manson following the initial accusations leveled against him by wood and several other women earlier this year.
A former assistant of Marilyn Manson‘s is said to have previously come forward in support of Bianco‘s allegations, as seen in her past public accusation made against Manson at thecut.com that was published in February of this year.
Bianco is seeking unspecified damages via the lawsuit. Bianco is one of over a dozen women who came forward against Manson this year. Responding to the initial allegations made against him by Wood and several other women back on February 01st, Manson stated:
“Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how – and why – others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.”
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