Multi-platinum shock rocker Marilyn Manson (aka Brian Warner) won’t face criminal charges in regards to the various allegations he has faced over the past several years related to claims of sexual assault/abuse. Over the past four years, the 56-year-old musician/actor was hit with a wave of civil lawsuits in the wake of those allegations against him first being made public by over a dozen women back in 2021.
Since then, those lawsuits have been playing out in court. A summary of those proceedings thus far can be found below:
- Manson reached a settlement with Esmé Bianco in January of 2023 after the latter filed suit against him for sexual assault, etc..
- Ashley Morgan Smithline recanted and dismissing her sexual assault lawsuit against Manson in February of 2023.
- Manson reached a settlement in September of 2023 with a woman who accused him of sexual assault.
- A tentative June 2025 trial date set for a sexual assault lawsuit filed against Manson by his ex-personal assistant Ashley Walters.
- Bianca Allaine Kyne filed suit against Manson over claims she was sexually assaulted by him in the mid to late 1990s.
The aforementioned allegations and lawsuits followed this February 2021 statement issued by his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood. Wood alleged that Manson had abused her during their romantic relationship that ended over a decade ago.
Manson went on to deny the claims made against him, going so far as to file a defamation suit against Wood and her associate Ilma Gore. In that suit, he alleged the pair had coached multiple women to make the aforementioned allegations against him, while also leveling other claims related to the pair allegedly defaming and harassing him.
After having several of his claims in that defamation suit struck down in court and subsequently being put on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars for Wood‘s legal fees in relation to it, Manson dropped his defamation suit last November.
This past October however saw then Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, state that Manson could potentially still face criminal charges in relation to the aforementioned allegations. That statement read:
“The LADA’s Sex Crimes Division is currently reviewing a case involving Brian Warner, aka Marilyn Manson
Experienced prosecutors from our office’s Sex Crimes Division are carefully reviewing new leads and additional evidence that continue to come to our attention from the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s investigation. New evidence has emerged within the last few weeks, adding to an already extensive case file presented to our office by the LASD.
It is our office’s responsibility to ensure that we have a complete picture of the admissible evidence available before making a filing decision. Senior staff members have met with victims, and our prosecutors continue to remain in contact with the victims and their representatives throughout this process. We are committed to making sure they are treated with dignity and respect.
I have received requests from victims to meet personally to discuss the case, however, as the case is being investigated it would be inappropriate for me, as District Attorney, to meet with victims during this time. We anticipate making a filing decision soon and will provide an update when that time comes. At that time, I look forward to meeting with the victims to discuss how my office can continue to support them.”
Gascón’s successor, Nathan Hochman, has newly announced today, January 24th, that following the conclusion of a four-year investigation, his office has decided to not lay charges against Manson. The following was said of that matter in this newly issued statement:
“LOS ANGELES – Nathan J. Hochman announced today that experienced prosecutors from the Sex Crimes Division of the District Attorney’s Office, along with detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, completed a comprehensive four-year investigation into allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault made against Brian Warner, aka Marilyn Manson. We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.
We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation. While we are unable to bring charges in this matter, we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault. We also acknowledge and commend them for making an important contribution to extending the statute of limitations for the prosecution of domestic abuse locally and throughout the nation. Due to their efforts, victims of domestic violence have a greater voice in our criminal justice system and prosecutorial offices around the country have improved tools to hold domestic violence abusers accountable for their actions.
Despite the decision necessitated by the facts and evidence in this matter, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office remains fully committed to seeking justice for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault whenever legally possible. We encourage anyone experiencing abuse to seek support and make a report to law enforcement as quickly as possible.”
Manson‘s lawyer Howard King told Rolling Stone of this latest development:
“We are very pleased that, after a thorough and incredibly lengthy review of all of the actual evidence, the District Attorney has concluded what we knew and expressed from the start — Brian Warner is innocent.”
Esmé Bianco, who settled her sexual assault lawsuit against Manson in January of 2023, said she was “deeply disappointed” by the District Attorney’s latest decision. She offered:
“Within our toxic culture of victim blaming; a lack of understanding of coercive control, the complex nature of sexual assault within intimate partnerships, and statutes of limitations that do not support the realities of healing; prosecutions face an oftentimes insurmountable hurdle. Once again, our justice system has failed survivors.
Not the individual prosecutors and detectives who worked for years on this case, but the system that made them do so with one hand tied behind their collective backs. Seven years ago when I was faced for the first time with that failure, it set me out on a journey of advocacy and activism, but with that came a very clear directive. My healing and peace could not be reliant upon the outcome of a desperately broken system.”
Addressing Manson himself in the statement, Bianco added:
“By you dragging me through hell, I discovered the unstoppable force of my own power. I learnt how strong, and brave and bold I really am. I emerged as a Phoenix from the ashes that you left of my life. You also know the truth, and may you endeavor to find peace with that.”
