CBS News report that Ashley Walters‘ lawsuit against Marilyn Manson has been dismissed by a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, citing issues with the statute of limitations. Upon issuing his dismissal today, May 25th, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Stern stated in court that “The plaintiff has pleaded too few facts and too late to keep this case in court.”
Walters served as a personal assistant to Manson from August of 2010 till July of 2011. She made numerous disturbing claims against the shock rocker upon filing her suit against him just over a year ago. Among them were allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual battery, infliction of emotional distress and the violation of several Californian civil codes.
While Walters was given the opportunity to amend her suit this past February, Stern felt that her updated complaint still did not provide enough compelling facts to overcome the two-year statute of limitations.
Walters had made claims that she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from her time with Manson and that it had caused her to repress her memories, leading her to file well after the statute of limitations had passed.
Walters‘ legal team intend to appeal this latest ruling, issuing the following comment of the court’s decision:
“We are deeply disappointed in the court’s decision today. If allowed to stand, this decision would drastically limit the ability of victims of abuse to obtain justice through the legal system. We clearly pleaded the facts of this case in the complaint detailing the trauma and abuse Ashley endured, which prevented her from coming forward sooner. While the court based its decision on the timeliness of Ashley‘s claims and not the merits, we disagree with the court’s interpretation of the law as it applies to equitable estoppel and the delayed filing of abuse claims. We remain confident that a full review of the facts in this case will result in a successful appeal, which we plan on filing.”
Walters herself stated:
“Nobody gets to choose exactly how they process abuse or threats. I am disheartened in the court’s decision today not just for my case, but for the message it sends to other survivors out there trying to balance how they process abuse with arbitrary court deadlines. We will not let this hurdle stop us from shining a light on what happened to me and others.”
Another accuser of Manson, Esmé Bianco, is set to have a hearing for her case this coming Friday, May 27th. Bianco is one of several women to have come forward against Manson and has made numerous disturbing allegations against him.
Manson himself continues to defend himself in court against his accusers and this past March filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood, claiming she and Illma Gore had served as ringleaders in a coordinated campaign against him. In his suit, Manson alleged that Walters had unlawfully gained access to his email and social media.
Though they did not name him at the time, both Evan Rachel Wood and Esmé Bianco spoke of the abuse they alleged suffered at the hands of Manson in front of a House Judiciary Subcommittee in 2019 (see here and here) while lobbying for The Phoenix Act. That act set forth to extend the statute of limitations on domestic violence incidents in California and was signed into law in 2020. However, it is not retroactive.
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