Evan Rachel Wood has opened up about the film and the defamation lawsuit shock-rocker Marilyn Manson recently filed against her on an episode of daytime talk show ‘The View’ ahead of the release of the film, “Phoenix Rising”, which documents her past relationship with the musician and allegations of abuse that prompted her to later name him publicly as her abuser.
Wood said the objective of “Phoenix Rising”, the second part of which premieres tonight (March 15) on HBO, is not to clear her name, but rather to “protect people” and “sound the alarm that there is a dangerous person out there.”
Following Wood’s allegations of assault and in speaking about the start of her relationship with Manson when she was 19, she described how grooming progresses, several women have filed lawsuits against him (real name Brian Hugh Warner).
“In the first place, I was not drawn to him — he was drawn to me,” Wood affirmed when asked what first drew her to Manson.
“He approached me under the guise of work, false promises,” Wood continued, “And that is part of the grooming process. He was grooming me the second he said hello. Grooming is when you present a false persona to somebody and you tell them lies to lure them into a false sense of security so that they become vulnerable around you. They start opening up, they start giving up their secrets and vulnerabilities. You’re mining information. It’s the epitome of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Once they have the information, once they know that you feel safe, they know that the manipulation can start.”
At 22, Wood’s life changed drastically when she was forced to relive her past suicide attempt while dating Manson. “When someone helps you degrade yourself and you lose sight of who you are, it leaves you feeling pretty shattered and empty,” she said during the interview. Wood went on to discuss how suicide is “just another form of evasion.”
The failed attempt to take her own life was something Wood called a “turning point” in her life. “I’m at the bottom so there’s no way to go but up,” she added before referring to herself as a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Wood also noted that the #MeToo movement gave her “a lot of hope” now that “domestic violence has had its day” and words such as “grooming and gaslighting” are coming to the forefront.
“Society around this issue is so geared around shame and victim blaming and that is by design. Even the way we speak about these things… we’re still asking victims the question why they didn’t leave. And the fact that we’re still asking that question tells me how much work there is to do. Nobody ever asks why the abuser didn’t leave. If he was so upset, if he hated you so much… ‘Why are you hitting her? Why don’t you just leave?’ We’re programmed to say these things and ask these questions, but we need to start asking different questions,” Wood stated.
When pressed about the defamation lawsuit Manson filed against her, Wood replied, “I can’t speak about any of the specific allegations of the lawsuit, but I am not scared. I am sad because this is how it works. This is what pretty much every survivor that tries to expose someone in a position of power goes through. This is part of the retaliation that keeps survivors quiet. This is why people don’t want to come forward. This was expected.”
Undeterred, the actress went on, “I’m very confident I have the truth on my side and that the truth will come out and this this [lawsuit] is clearly timed before the documentary — there’s a reason. Again, I’m not doing this [film] to clear my name, I’m doing this to protect people. I’m doing this to sound the alarm that there is a dangerous person out there and I don’t want anybody getting near him. People can think whatever they want about me, I have to let the legal process run its course. I’m steady as a rock.”
“I have a platform. I’m privileged, I’m white. I have resources,” Wood acknowledged before lamenting the more significant hurdles many other survivors of abuse may face, “…and we should all be alarmed — I have these things in my corner and I’m still struggling.”
Marilyn Manson is suing Evan Rachel Wood for defamation and false statements, according to court documents. “There will come a time when I can speak more about the events of the previous year,” Manson recently stated in a social media post. “Until then, the facts must speak for themselves,” he added before providing links to information regarding his current lawsuit against Wood
In his complaint, Manson claims intentional emotional distress, defamation per se, violation of the Comprehensive Computer Data and Access Fraud Act, and impersonation via the internet. His case concludes that Wood and Illma Gore created a conspiracy by using fraudulent means to defame him and make money.
You can watch Wood’s full interview below.