Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood has come forward to reveal the years of trauma and abuse she suffered at the hands of heavy metal and rock singer Marilyn Manson. She named Manson, real name Brian Warner in an Instagram post detailing the allegations. She had previously spoken about being the survivor of domestic violence but until this point had never called out her abuser. The pair was known to have had a relationship in 2007, when she was 19 and he was 38, and they were briefly engaged in 2010, but soon broke up.
The actress claimed that Manson was the man she referred to in the past when she talked about being in a ‘horrifically abusive’ relationship for years. In an Instagram post today, she revealed Manson’s name and wrote, “The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson. He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
Wood had first spoken about the domestic abuse in a 2016 interview. In 2018, she testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee as part of an effort to get the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights passed in all 50 states. The following year, she testified before California legislators on behalf of the Phoenix Act, legislation that altered the statute of limitations for crimes involving domestic violence from three to five years. The same year, she opened up about the abuse on Twitter using the #IAmNotOk hashtag in an attempt to raise awareness about domestic violence.
In a show of solidarity, four other women have come forward detailing their own harrowing experiences with Manson. They alleged sexual assault, psychological abuse, and/or various forms of coercion, violence, and intimidation at the hands of Manson. However, Manson had denied similar allegations in the past.
(Source: Instagram/PTI)
