Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood has publicly named Marilyn Manson as her abuser, claiming that he had "horrifically abused" her for years. Wood, who stars as Dolores Abernathy in the dystopian sci-fi show Westworld, created a post on Instagram early on February 1st, in which she named Brian Warner as her abuser, the real name of singer-songwriter Marilyn Manson. The pair were in a relationship from 2007 until 2010, at which point they broke off their engagement. When they first got together in 2007, Wood was 19 and Mason was 38.
Wood, now 33, claims that Manson began grooming her when she was a teenager, which then led to an abusive relationship. "I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission," writes Wood in her Instagram post. She has previously spoken out about being the victim of abuse, having told Rolling Stone in 2016 that she had been raped many years ago, once by a "significant other" and again by a "bar owner." It had been speculated that Manson was one of her abusers, although he refused to comment at the time.
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Since Wood's Instagram post, at least three other women have posted similar allegations against Manson. His representatives have so far not been available to comment, but his team has denied allegations of this nature in the past. Wood has been a vocal activist for sexual abuse survivors for years. In 2018, she testified before a House Judiciary Committee as part of an effort to get the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights passed in all 50 states. She then testified in front of California legislators on behalf of the Phoenix Act legislation that altered the statute of limitations for domestic violence crimes.
Manson himself has shown evidence of exhibiting abusive behavior, although many of his comments had often been dismissed on account of his public persona. In 2009, in reference to Wood, he told Spin, "I have fantasies every day about smashing her skull in with a sledgehammer."
In the midst of the #MeToo movement, Wood's allegations against Manson add to the surge of sexual assault allegations against public figures that have come to light in recent years. As evident through the number of other victims who responded to Wood's Instagram posts within a matter of hours, the industry has begun to be more responsive to such allegations, causing victims to feel more comfortable to come forward with their stories.
With Wood having a history of being a prominent advocate for sexual assault victims, it will be interesting to hear how Manson will eventually respond to these allegations, and how others in the entertainment industry will react.
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Source: Deadline