Evan Rachel Wood alleges Marilyn Manson 'essentially raped' her on camera
Evan Rachel Wood is detailing her sexual abuse allegations against rock star Marilyn Manson, alleging he "essentially raped" her during production of a music video.
The Westworld star last year alleged Manson "started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years," and she speaks further about her allegations in a new documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Phoenix Rising. In it, Wood alleges that while shooting the music video for Manson's 2007 song "Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)," he "started penetrating me for real" during what was discussed as a simulated sex scene, according to The Guardian. She did not consent to this, she says.
"I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretences," Wood reportedly says. "That's when the first crime was committed against me and I was essentially raped on camera."
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The actress also reportedly describes how Manson instructed her to "tell people we had this great, romantic time" making the video when "none of that was the truth," and she alleges this was the "beginning of the violence that would keep escalating over the course of the relationship." Manson and Wood dated for several years.
Since early 2021, Manson has been accused of sexual abuse by multiple women, including Game of Thrones star Esmé Bianco, who sued him for sexual assault and human trafficking. He has denied the allegations and maintained that his "intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners." In November, Manson's home was raided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and officials reportedly seized hard drives.
In the documentary, Wood says that coming forward with her claims against Manson isn't "about revenge" or the fact that "he's a monster and he needs to be punished and destroyed," The Daily Beast reports. Instead, she says, "He's already destroyed. That man is not a man anymore. He is gone."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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