Prosecutors Won’t Charge Marilyn Manson After Years-Long Investigation of Sexual Assault Allegations

Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Decides Not to File Charges

Prosecutors said Friday that they will not file charges against Marilyn Manson after a years-long investigation of allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Evidence Not Sufficient to Prove Charges Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the allegations are too old under the law and the evidence is not sufficient to charge the 56-year-old shock rocker, whose legal name is Brian Warner.

“We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt,” Hochman said. “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.”

Investigation Started in 2021

Nearly four years after the investigation began, then-District Attorney George Gascón said on Oct. 9 that his office was pursuing new leads that added to the “already extensive” file that authorities had amassed.

Search Warrant Served on Manson’s West Hollywood Home

LA County sheriff’s detectives said early in 2021 that they were investigating Manson for incidents between 2009 and 2011 in West Hollywood, where Manson lived at the time. The probe included a search warrant that was served on his West Hollywood home. The case was initially turned over to prosecutors in September 2021, but the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office requested more evidence-gathering and the investigation resumed.

Actress Esmé Bianco Speaks Out

The identities of the women police and prosecutors spoke to were not revealed, but “Game of Thrones” actress Esmé Bianco — who sued Manson in a case that has been settled — said she was part of the criminal investigation.

“Almost four years ago, I did what victims of rape are supposed to do: I went to the police,” she said on Oct. 10. “I described to them in agonizing detail how the rock musician Brian Warner — better known by his stage name Marilyn Manson — had raped and abused me over the course of our relationship.”

Lawsuit Allegations

Bianco said she gave investigators “hundreds of pieces of evidence, including photos of my body covered in bites, bruises and knife wounds, emails and text messages, threats to my immigration status.”

In her lawsuit, Bianco alleged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and said that Manson violated human trafficking law by bringing her to California from England for non-existent roles in music videos and movies.

Former Fiancée Evan Rachel Wood Speaks Out

In 2021, his former fiancée, “Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood, named him as her abuser for the first time in an Instagram post.

Wood and Manson’s relationship became public in 2007 when he was 38 and she was 19, and they were briefly engaged in 2010 before breaking up.

“He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years,” Wood said.

Congratulations to the Women Who Came Forward

We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences. We thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why was the investigation started in 2021? The investigation was started in 2021 after a woman came forward with allegations of sexual assault against Marilyn Manson.
• What were the allegations made against Marilyn Manson? The allegations included sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
• What was the outcome of the investigation? The investigation concluded that the allegations were too old under the law and the evidence was not sufficient to charge Manson with the crimes.
• Who were some of the women who came forward with allegations against Marilyn Manson? Esmé Bianco, an actress, and Evan Rachel Wood, a former fiancée of Manson, were two of the women who came forward with allegations against him.