Evan Rachel Wood Accuses Ex-Fiance Marilyn Manson of ‘Horrific’ Abuse: ‘I Was Brainwashed’

Actress Evan Rachel Wood is accusing her former fiancé, Marilyn Manson, of abuse, calling him a “dangerous man.”

“The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” the Westworld star, 33, wrote via Instagram on Monday, February 1. “He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission.”

Wood explained that she is “done living in fear” and wanted to “expose” her ex, including those who have “enabled him.” She concluded, “I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”

In a show of solidarity, at least four other women posted their own allegations against Manson, detailing harrowing experiences that they claimed included sexual assault, psychological abuse and/or various forms of coercion, violence and intimidation. Wood reposted their claims on her Instagram Stories. Manson has yet to speak out but “categorically denied” similar accusations in the past.  

The Across the Universe actress, 33, met shock-rocker, 52, when she was 18 and he was 36. In 2018, Wood testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee as part of an effort to get the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights passed in all 50 states.

“My experience with domestic violence was this: Toxic mental, physical and sexual abuse which started slow but escalated over time, including threats against my life, severe gaslighting and brainwashing, waking up to the man that claimed to love me raping what he believed to be my unconscious body,” she told the subcommittee, though she did not name a perpetrator at the time.

The following year, she testified before California legislators on behalf of the Phoenix Act, legislation that altered the statute of limitations for crimes involving domestic violence.

In 2009, Manson was quoted saying of Wood, “I have fantasies every day about smashing her skull in with a sledgehammer,” he told Spin. Last year, when that comment was brought up by a music journalist, a representative for Manson noted that the comment was “obviously a theatrical rock star interview promoting a new record and not a factual account.”

In an interview with Self, Wood said, “I used to think being strong was not being affected. And now, to me, being strong is letting it affect you but being able to move past it, and seeing the pain, walking through it, letting it flow through you, and then letting it leave. You can break and still be strong.”

Wood and Manson were engaged in 2010 before splitting up. In Touch reached out to Manson’s rep for comment.

If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.