Marilyn Manson, the American goth musician and writer, has refuted the rape accusations made by ex-girlfriend and Hollywood actress Evan Rachel Wood in an HBO documentary. On January 23, the first part of Phoenix Rising, HBO’s upcoming two-part series of documentaries about Wood, officially premiered at the virtual Sundance Film Festival 2022. Wood alleged that Manson, whose real identity is Brian Hugh Warner, “essentially raped” her on-camera without her consent.
Wood was 19 at the time of the alleged incident, which occurred on the set of Manson’s 2007 music video Heart-Shaped Glasses. Manson disputed the charges through his lawyer, who stated that the musician “did not have sex with Evan on that set,” reported E! News.
Wood, a former child actor, started dating Manson in 2006 when she was 18 and he was 37. Manson stated that he dressed Wood in a pair of heart-shaped spectacles that were inspired by the film poster of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Lolita.’ Wood is shown in the video wearing similar Lolita sunglasses and getting intimate with Manson. According to Wood, they had planned a simulated sex sequence, but as the cameras started rolling, “Manson began penetrating me for real,” she claimed. In the documentary, Wood said, “I had never agreed to that.”
She described her encounters with the musician on the sets as unprofessional, saying she had never been on a production where she felt this unsafe and chaotic. Initially, the 34-year-old had no idea how to raise her voice or tell Manson ‘no’ since she had been raised by her parents to ‘never talk back, but just soldier through.’
It’s not the first time Wood has accused Manson of sexual harassment. After making statements concerning her ‘abuser’ in 2018, she disclosed in February 2021 that her abuser’s identity was Brian Warner, aka Manson.
Marilyn Manson has been accused of rape or abuse a dozen times before, including allegations from several women. Esme Bianco, the British actress, and his erstwhile personal assistant are among those involved.
