Lawyers for Ashley Walters, Marilyn Manson’s former assistant, and one of four women who’ve filed lawsuits against the artist alleging sexual assault, claim that their client was threatened with “retaliatory legal action” if she participated in actress Evan Rachel Wood’s ‘Phoenix Rising’ film.
In the wake of the HBO documentary created by his former partner Wood and directed by Amy Berg, which addresses the abuse allegations made against him, Manson filed legal papers accusing the actress of defamation.
In ‘Phoenix Rising’, Wood claims that she was “basically raped” on camera during the video shoot for the song Heart-Shaped Glasses (When The Heart Guides The Hand) in 2007.
The lawsuit filed by Manson against Wood states that it is “based on the illegal and wrongful acts committed in furtherance of a conspiracy by Defendant Evan Rachel Wood and her on-again, off-again lover, Illma Gore (a/k/a Ashley Gore), to maliciously label Plaintiff Brian Warner, p/k/a Marilyn Manson
Walters’ legal team has now submitted a new amendment to her lawsuit, alleging that she was also threatened with “retaliatory” legal action if she took part in the documentary.
In January, Manson’s lawyers asked for the case filed by Walters to be dismissed, on the basis of statute of limitations.
In their amended lawsuit, filed on March 11 and seen by Rolling Stone, Walters’ lawyers state: “Defendants should not benefit from [Manson’s] physically, emotionally and psychologically debilitating and threatening behavior by being permitted to use the statute of limitations as a shield.”
The new amendment also states: “While (Walters) could not recall many of the specific acts of intimidation, threats and coercion until Fall of 2020 or later, the compilation of numerous threatening and violent events instilled a constant state of fear of retribution and retaliation.”
Marilyn Manson is the target of several lawsuits and an active inquiry by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Lawyers representing the shock-rocker did not respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment on the latest accusation.