Marilyn Manson won’t be charged in rape, domestic violence cases

Marilyn Manson will not face criminal charges in a series of sexual assault and domestic violence allegations, Los Angeles County prosecutors said Friday.

The musician, whose real name is Brian Warner, had been under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department since 2021 after several women came forward to accuse him of rape and abuse. His accusers included “Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood and “Game of Thrones” actress Esme Bianco.

Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement Friday that the statute of limitations had run out on the domestic violence allegations and that prosecutors did not believe they could prove the rape charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

“We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation,” Hochman said in a statement. “While we are unable to bring charges in this matter, we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.”

The district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for further details on the decision. Warner’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

Allegations against Warner first surfaced in 2021 after Bianco sued Manson, alleging sexual assault, sexual battery and human trafficking. The two settled Bianco’s lawsuit in 2023. The same year, Manson settled a suit with an anonymous Jane Doe that also alleged rape.

Wood, who was in a romantic relationship with Warner for years, has levied perhaps the most detailed allegations against Warner, claiming the singer first assaulted her during a simulated sex scene on a music video shoot in 2007 and then proceeded to “groom” her for years.

A former assistant, Ashley Waters, also sued Manson, alleging harassment and assault.

L.A. County Sheriff’s Department investigators raided Manson’s mansion in 2021 and presented a case to the district attorney’s office in 2022. The victims grew frustrated as years went by without a filing decision, and Bianco and Hochman held a press conference lambasting former Dist. Atty. George Gascón’s handling of the case last year.

“Almost four years ago, I did what victims of rape are ‘supposed’ to do — I went to the police,” Bianco said in a statement issued by Hochman’s campaign last year. “Despite a thorough investigation and hundreds of pieces of evidence being submitted to the District Attorney’s office, I am still waiting for justice. In the meantime, I have received death threats, while my abuser continues to perform publicly.”

Gascón said last October that “new evidence” had come forward in the case but did not detail what it was.

Hochman did not immediately respond to a question about the past campaign event.