Multiple counts in Marilyn Manson‘s defamation suit against Evan Rachel Wood have now been thrown out.
Manson, born Brian Warner, filed the suit against ex-fiancée Wood and her associate Illma Gore in March 2022, just ahead of the premiere of Wood’s documentary Phoenix Rising. In the film, Wood further made allegations of sexual assault against Warner after declaring that he’d “horrifically abused [her] for years” in February 2021. Multiple women have also come forward with allegations against Warner.
According to a tentative order obtained by Deadline, a Los Angeles judge has ruled “the Court grants Wood’s special motion to strike in part.” Among the pieces now dropped from the suit are the claims that Wood forged an FBI letter and that she created a checklist for other accusers to base their allegations on.
In a statement to Deadline, Wood’s lawyer says they are “very pleased” with the ruling, adding, “As the Court correctly found, Plaintiff failed to show that his claims against her have even minimal merit.”
The order comes after the judge ruled that former Warner accuser Ashley Morgan Smithline‘s recent recant of her allegations could not be entered into the case.
“The ruling is disappointing but not unexpected,” Warner’s lawyer says. “The Court telegraphed this outcome when it refused to consider the bombshell sworn declaration of former plaintiff Ashley Smithline, which detailed how women were systematically pressured by Evan Rachel Wood and Illma Gore to make false claims about Brian Warner.”
Warner has denied all allegations. Previous cases brought against him by actor Esmé Bianco and former assistant Ashley Walters were settled and dismissed, respectively.
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
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