Marilyn Manson's defamation case against Evan Rachel Wood has hit a major setback.
A judge has tossed significant parts of the rock star's defamation lawsuit against Wood, his ex-fiancée who accused him of sexual abuse, according to The Associated Press. Judge Teresa A. Beaudet gutted the case by tossing several of Manson's claims against Wood, including that she forged an FBI letter and made a checklist of claims to give to other women so they could accuse him of abuse, Deadline reports.
In 2021, Wood accused Manson of sexually abusing her during their relationship, leading numerous other women to come forward and bring legal claims against the rocker. The Westworld star also discussed her allegations against Manson in a 2022 HBO documentary, Phoenix Rising. Just ahead of the documentary's premiere, Manson sued Wood for defamation. One of his most explosive claims was that she forged "a fictitious letter" from an FBI agent "to create the false appearance that Warner's alleged 'victims' and their families were in danger, and that there was a federal criminal investigation of Warner ongoing." She denied Manson's claims.
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Wood's attorney said "we are very pleased with the Court's ruling, which affirms and protects Evan's exercise of her fundamental First Amendment rights." Manson's attorney, meanwhile called the ruling "disappointing but not unexpected," alleging the court "refused to consider" a declaration from a woman detailing "how women were systematically pressured by" Wood to make false allegations against Manson. Manson's lawsuit, which the AP notes still includes his claims that Wood inflicted emotional distress on him, is set to proceed.
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