Content Warning: This article about Evan Rachel Wood and Marilyn Manson discusses sexual abuse and domestic violence.
If you or someone you know is affected by the following story, you are not alone. To speak to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
More damning allegations against Marilyn Manson have surfaced during the screening of documentary Phoenix Rising at Sundance. The doco focusses on Evan Rachel Wood, and addresses her sexual assault claims against Marilyn Manson.
One scene of Phoneix Rising sees Wood discussing the music video for Manson’s 2007 single ‘Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)’ that she featured in. The actress said that she and Manson performed “things that were not what was pitched to me” in the recording.
“We had discussed a simulated sex scene, but once the cameras were rolling, he started penetrating me for real. I had never agreed to that. I’m a professional actress, I have been doing this my whole life, I’d never been on a set that unprofessional in my life up until this day.
“It was complete chaos, and I did not feel safe. No one was looking after me. It was a really traumatizing experience filming the video. I didn’t know how to advocate for myself or know how to say no because I had been conditioned and trained to never talk back—to just soldier through.
“I felt disgusting and like I had done something shameful, and I could tell that the crew was very uncomfortable and nobody knew what to do. I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretenses. That’s when the first crime was committed against me and I was essentially raped on camera,” the actress alleged in the explosive scene.
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In February 2018, Evan Rachel Wood testified in front of Congress and delved into a sexually and physically abusive relationship she had with a romantic partner as a teenager. The testimony was delivered to push more states to adopt the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act.
At the time, Wood didn’t name Manson. However, Wood named Manson as the aforementioned abuser in February, 2021. “He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years,” she said. “I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
