Shock rocker Marilyn Manson‘s (aka Brian Warner) attempts to dismiss a civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by his former personal assistant Ashley Waters have been denied by a Californian judge. As you may recall, it’s been a turbulent road with this lawsuit, which was first filed against Manson back in 2021.
In her original complaint, Walters accused Manson of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual battery, infliction of emotional distress and the violation of several Californian civil codes, citing incidents alleged to have occurred in 2010 and 2011.
The suit would go on to be dismissed in May of 2022, with the judge expressing concerns over the statute of limitations being exceeded and “too few facts” being presented. However, December 2023 saw the amended suit revived under a rule of delayed discovery.
December of 2025 then saw that suit once again dismissed, with concerns over the statute of limitations once again coming into play and whether or not the case, which features allegations based on repressed memories, is applicable to the delayed discovery rule.
While that appeared to signal the end for this suit, a new law passed in California this year, AB 250, allowed Walters to once again revive her suit this past January. AB 250 established a new temporary window of revival for adult survivors of alleged sexual abuse to bring forth cases previously ruled out over statute of limitations concerns.
In today’s (June 05th) development, a judge denied Manson‘s legal team’s request to have this latest amended complaint filed by Walters against Manson thrown out or altered. Rolling Stone report that Manson‘s lawyer Alexa Foley unsuccessfully attempted to argue that Walters, ‘couldn’t meet the standard of showing she was physically restrained during her alleged sexual assault’, and thus AB 250 should not be applicable to the case.
The judge however, argued that the case was too early in to make such decisions, opting to allow time for more evidence to be gathered and presented. Legal teams for both the prosecution and the defendant commented to Rolling Stone of these latest developments.
Manson‘s lawyer Howard King told the aforementioned publication, “This was not unexpected. It’s a clear invitation for a summary judgment motion. The judge telegraphed explicitly that we’re not at the right stage of the case yet.”
Walter‘s attorney Bina Ahmad meanwhile stated, “We are obviously pleased. We truly take the inspiration to keep fighting from our client. She’s the brave one.”
A case management conference has next been scheduled for this August. Manson was hit with numerous civil lawsuits of a sexual assault-related nature in the wake of his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood coming forward with claims of abuse against him back in February of 2021.
Since then, Manson reached a settlement with Esmé Bianco and another unidentified accuser. Another case brought forward against him by Ashley Morgan Smithline was withdrawn and recanted. Bianca Allaine Kyne also filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Manson, alleging incidents which she claimed to have taken place in the 1990s.
Manson has denied the claims put forth against him, and went on to launch a defamation suit against Wood, claiming that she and her associate Ilma Gore served as ringleaders in coaching various women to come forward with claims and allegations against him. After being met with numerous legal setbacks, Manson eventually dropped that complaint.
