Marilyn Manson Releases Statement Regarding Allegations by Ex-Girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood

Marilyn Manson has released a statement regarding abuse allegations leveled against him by his ex-girlfriend, Westwood star Evan Rachel Wood.

The statement arrives following the news that the shock rocker abruptly ended a recent interview with Metal Hammer after they attempted to ask Manson about the accusations.

Following that incident, the magazine was able to send Manson’s UK press rep ten questions they had wanted the vocalist to answer. Topics covered in these questions included:

• Asking about comments Manson had made about Wood in interviews while they were dating
• Asking about Wood’s claim that she won’t specifically name her abuser because he has threatened her life
• The fact that Wood has not publicly cleared Manson’s name, but has publicly cleared the name of actor Mickey Rourke (who played her father in The Wrestler), another rumored ex.

In response to the questions, Manson’s aforementioned UK rep sent a lengthy response on the singer’s behalf.

The TLDNR version is that he denies any wrongdoing, claiming that Wood “dated multiple people around the time she was dating Manson” and therefore could have been talking about a number of men (although if Wood was dating anyone else around the same time as Manson, it never became a matter of public record). The statement also points to positive things Wood said about Manson in a 2015 interview, after they broke up, and attempts to garner sympathy from the singer by pointing out that he has had his life threatened many times as well.

Honestly, the whole thing feels tone deaf to me. I’m not saying Manson is necessarily guilty (although his friendships with other men accused of abuse, like his former bassist Jeordie “Twiggy Ramirez” White and Johnny Depp, is not a great look). I’m just saying this statement feels like it could have been more delicate. Saying “she dated a lot of men” and “she said nice things about me before” feels simultaneously shaming and insensitive to the fact that, again, Wood may very well have said things due to a fear for her life.

But the worst bit is the “I get death threats, too,” part. As people who respond to Black Lives Matter by saying “all lives matter,” it seems to be deliberately missing the point in a way which is just really, really gross.

Read the full statement below. Discuss (POLITELY) in the comments section. Wood still hasn’t responded to Manson’s statement. We’ll let you know when/if she does.

“Personal testimony is just that, and we think it’s inappropriate to comment on that.

“You then go on to talk about Manson being accused of ‘terrible things’ by unnamed ‘critics’ but offer no guidance on who these critics are and what these things are, so it’s not possible to comment.

“You then mention Mickey Rourke. It is my understanding that Evan Rachel Wood dated multiple people around the time she was dating Manson. Basic internet research will give you a host of other names that have not come up in any of our discussions.

“Your next couple of points deal with comments Manson made in Spin magazine in 2009. Your confusion around the timeline of this is extremely worrying. [Editor’s note: there is no confusion around this timeline.] The comments in Spin where Manson had a fantasy of using a sledgehammer on Evan and he cut himself 158 times was obviously a theatrical rock star interview promoting a new record, and not a factual account. The fact that Evan and Manson got engaged six months after this interview would indicate that no one took this story literally.

“You go on to talk about Manson commenting on sexual harassment, Me Too and specifically the experiences of his ex partner Rose McGowan. These are all issues that Manson has publicly addressed and are available online. Please see Channel 4 interview from 15th December 2017.

“Manson has never shied away from public comment – equally he does not have to make the same comment twice.

“There will be no further comment on specific songs. Your journalist had the opportunity to ask Manson about his music – one of only two interviews granted in the UK – and he chose not to. Trying to weave one section of one song from an artist with a 30 plus year career to fit a narrative is both disingenuous and troublesome.

“You mention Manson’s ex fiancée Rose McGowan in your questions. Rose is one of the bravest and most outspoken figureheads of the Me Too movement. Manson remains friends with McGowan and she talks very fondly of their three a half years together. There are multiple sources worldwide. I link to a Washington Post article on McGowan’s memoir Brave.

“You fail to mention Manson’s ex-wife Dita Von Teese, who remains good friends with Manson. Quoting from a Female First article published in 2018, ‘Dita admits she has been ‘lucky’ to avoid any abusive episodes in the entertainment industry in her career.’ 

“There are also numerous articles over multiple years where Evan Rachel Wood speaks very positively about her relationship with Manson. In NetAPorters.com’s The Edit: ‘I wouldn’t trade any of [our relationship],’ Wood told the mag. ‘I appreciate everything he taught me. I just don’t think we were right for each other.’ 

“Finally you talk about death threats. Manson knows all about those – he has had many. He has spent his career being blamed for everything from Columbine to teenage suicide. Unfortunately, we live in a time where people believe what they read on the Internet, and feel free to say what they want with no actual evidence. The effects can be catastrophic and promoting non fact based information is wholly irresponsible. All we can try and do, as the media and individuals, is to use facts and truth and not hide behind gossip and conjecture to further our own agendas.”