Marilyn Manson has been ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in legal fees, with a recent addition bringing the total to just under this amount. Manson had filed a defamation case against Evan Rachel Wood, claiming that she had falsely accused him of grooming her as a teenager and then abusing her. Manson had denied all of Wood’s allegations and even claimed that the actress had coordinated and pressured women to make false statements against him. The key claims of Manson’s lawsuit had been dismissed last year, but some parts of the case still remain pending, with a trial scheduled to take place on May 1, 2024.
Since the dismissal of his lawsuit, Manson was ordered to pay Wood’s legal fees of about $326,000. It has now been reported that he will pay the legal fees of artist Illma Gore, who is a second defendant in the defamation lawsuit and is described as Wood’s on-again, off-again romantic partner. Gore is reportedly owed over $160,000. These reimbursements were awarded under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which states that defendants who are unfairly sued for their freedom of speech can have their attorney’s fees and other costs paid for by the plaintiff.
Wood had initially accused Manson of grooming her as a teenager and then “horrifically” abusing her for several years in an Instagram post in 2021. Manson has denied all five of his accusers’ claims, calling them “horrible distortions of reality.” Since then, Manson has faced several sexual assault cases, including accusations from Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco and ex-girlfriend Ashley Morgan Smithline. Manson has denied Bianco’s claims as “meritless” and settled with her in January 2023. The lawsuit filed by Smithline has since been dismissed. Manson was also accused by someone known only as Jane Doe in September 2023, but the case ended up being settled a week ahead of trial.
If anyone needs help, advice, or more information on sexual harassment, assault, and rape in the UK, they can visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, they can visit RAINN
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