The Los Angeles County district attorney said Friday that prosecutors will not pursue criminal charges against Marilyn Manson over allegations of sexual abuse and domestic violence. This follows a year-long investigation in cases that allegedly occurred in 2009 and 2011 when Manson was living in West Hollywood.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman issued a statement citing the statute of limitations had expired on domestic violence charges against Manson (real name Brian Warner) and the evidence was insufficient to charge him in court.
“We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove allegations of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt,” Hochman mentioned. “We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to report and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation.”
In a statement shared with AmountHoward King, Manson’s attorney, said they were “very pleased” with the outcome. King continued, “After a thorough and incredibly lengthy review of all the factual evidence, the District Attorney has concluded what we knew and expressed from the beginning – Brian Warner is innocent.”
The identities of the women involved in the Los Angeles case were never made public, but the “Game of Thrones” actor Esmé bianco revealed himself to be part of the investigation last year. She came forward as dozens of other women also made allegations against Manson. At the time, she told The Cut that Manson had subjected her to psychological abuse, whipped her, cut her hair and chased her around his apartment with an ax in May 2011.
Manson has been accused of sexual assault by several women in recent years, including accusations from his ex-author Evan Rachel Wood, who alleged that he “Horribly abused” her for years while they were in a relationship.
Manson responded to these allegations at the time, saying: “My intimate relationships have always been completely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how – and why – others now choose to misrepresent the past, it is the truth. ” He later sued wood for defamation over her accusations, but settled his trial 2023 and paid approximately $327,000 in legal fees for Wood.