Marilyn Manson Accuser Files Amended Lawsuit Detailing Alleged Sexual Assault

In an amended lawsuit filed Friday, lawyers for former Marilyn Manson assistant Ashley Walters stated that she repressed the memories of much of the sexual abuse and battery she claimed she endured during her time with the shock rocker, only confronting what occurred following therapy sessions in the fall of 2020.

Walters first sued the singer born Brian Warner in May 2021; Manson’s lawyers attempted to have the lawsuit thrown out in January 2022 on the basis of statute of limitations, but the judge overseeing the case declined to rule on that motion until a later date. 

The amended lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, comes months after a similar lawsuit, filed against Manson by a Jane Doe victim, was briefly dismissed because the accusations fell outside California’s statute of limitations; that lawsuit was refiled in Sept. 2021, with Doe’s lawyers arguing she “repressed the memories” of the alleged sexual assaults and that the delayed discovery rule keeps the lawsuit inside the statute of limitations.

“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 should Plaintiff, in any way, confront Defendants,” Walters’ lawyers write in the amended lawsuit.  

“This also contributed to the fact that Plaintiff was unable to access many of the memories of her abuse until the effects of these threats and coercion subsided due to the public exposure of Warner’s abuse and the loss of his power in the industry when even his record labels and management dropped their representation of Defendants.”

Walters’ many allegations against Manson remain intact in the new filing, but emphasized to reiterate that they were repressed memories. However, Walters’ lawyers added that, since the initial filing, Walters was also threatened by Manson’s counsel with “retaliatory legal action” if she took part in the upcoming Evan Rachel Wood documentary Phoenix Rising that details the alleged abuse the actress suffered while with Manson.

After that two-part documentary was announced in January, Manson’s legal team filed a lawsuit against Wood, suing her for defamation, emotional distress, and “impersonation over the internet.” Phoenix Rising premieres March 15 and 16 on HBO.

Walters’ lawyers continued, “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.”

Manson’s lawyer did not respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment at press time.

Walters’ lawsuit is one of four that Manson is currently facing: In addition to the Jane Doe lawsuit, Last April, Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco filed a lawsuit claiming Warner raped her, whipped her, held her captive, and otherwise sexually battered her during a tortured dating relationship.

In June 2021, model Ashley Morgan Smithline sued Manson for sexual assault, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking, and unlawful imprisonment, among other allegations.

All four women are among the dozen women who have also alleged sexual impropriety and abuse against Manson, as detailed in an in-depth Rolling Stone story about the disgraced rocker and alleged sexual predator.

From Rolling Stone US.