LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Westworld” TV and film actress Evan Rachel Wood on Monday said her former fiance, rock singer Marilyn Manson, “horrifically abused me for years.”
Wood, 33, who dated Manson, 52, from around 2007 and was briefly engaged to him in 2010, made the accusation in an Instagram post.
“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,” she wrote.
“I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission,” Wood added.
Representatives for Manson did not return requests for comment on Monday. The singer-songwriter is known for his Gothic-inspired black outfits and heavy make-up. His hits include “The Dope Show” and “Personal Jesus.”
Wood has testified before the U.S. Congress and California Senate about her experience with domestic violence and rape without identifying who was responsible.
Asked about Wood’s testimony in a 2020 interview with British magazine Metal Hammer, Manson’s representatives said in a statement; “Personal testimony is just that, and we think it’s inappropriate to comment on that… There are also numerous articles over multiple years where Evan Rachel Wood speaks very positively about her relationship with Manson.”
Three other women on Monday also posted accusations on Instagram against Manson of emotional and psychological abuse in the last 10 years.
Wood started her career as a child actor in such films as “Thirteen.” Other credits include “The Wrestler” and the TV series “Mildred Pierce.”
She said on Monday that she was “done living in fear of retaliation, slander and blackmail… I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
The actor’s representatives did not return a request for further comment on Monday.
Dozens of men in entertainment, politics, business and sports have been accused of sexual misconduct or emotional abuse since the #MeToo movement went viral in 2017 following multiple allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein was sentenced in 2020 to 23 years in prison.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Howard Goller)
