After Evan Rachel Wood accused her ex Marilyn Manson, born Brian Warner, of sexual assault on February 1, the wall of silence surrounding the musician quickly crumbled. Since the Westworld star spoke out, at least 17 other women have stepped forward with similar allegations, including emotional abuse, gaslighting, drugging and violence.

Manson, 52, has denied the claims. Posting to social media on February 2nd, he said that the accusations were "horrible distortions of reality" and that his "intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners."

Manson's record label, Loma Vista Recordings, his manager, and his talent agency have since dropped him, as women continue to come forward. The most recent of whom is Ashley Morgan, who spoke out about the singer on May 5th, 2021.

Here is a timeline of the allegations levelled against the musician.

(Credit: Alamy)1. February 2021 - Evan Rachel Wood names Manson as her abuser

On February 1st, 2021, the Westworld actress took to Instagram to share a statement, which read: "The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson. He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander or blackmail.

"I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent," she added.

The 33-year-old began dating Manson in 2007, and got engaged in 2010 — later breaking up that same year.

In 2018, Wood testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee in 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 stated at the time, without naming the perpetrator.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, in May of 2018 — in the height of the #MeToo movement — a police report was filed against the musician citing unspecified sex crimes that reportedly took place in 2011. In August, the Los Angeles District's Attorney's office announced that it was declining to pursue the case due to a lack of evidence.

Manson's lawyer, Howard E. King, told the publication that the "allegations made to the police were and are categorically denied by Mr. Warner and are either completely delusional or part of a calculated attempt to generate publicity…. Any claim of sexual impropriety or imprisonment at that, or any other, time is false."

(Credit: Alamy)2. February 2021 — Four more women step forward following Wood's statement

Following Wood's accusation, four other women — Ashley Walters, Sarah McNeilly, Ashley Lindsay Morgan and a fourth woman who has asked to remain anonymous — spoke to Vanity Fair about their alleged experiences with Manson.

"I continue to suffer from PTSD, and struggle with depression," Walters told Vanity Fair. "I stayed in touch with quite a few people who went through their own traumas, under his control. As we all struggled, as survivors do, to get on with our lives, I’d keep hearing stories disturbingly similar to our own experiences. It became clear the abuse he’s caused; he continues to inflict on so many and I cannot stand by and let this happen to others. Brian Warner needs to be held accountable."

Sarah McNeilly alleged: "I have been afraid to bring any spotlight upon myself as to avoid winding up in his crosshairs again. As a result of the way he treated me, I suffer from mental health issues and PTSD that have affected my personal and professional relationships, self-worth and personal goals. I believe he gets off on ruining people’s lives. I stand in support of all that have and all will come forward. I want to see Brian held accountable for his evil."

"I have night terrors, PTSD, anxiety, and mostly crippling OCD. I try to wash constantly to get him out or off of me…. I am coming forward so he will finally stop," Ashley Lindsay Morgan corroborated.

"It has taken me five years to speak out and say that I was in an abusive relationship. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and still suffer from nightmares," the fourth woman claimed, regarding her relationship with Manson. "I blocked out a lot of the memories, but the feelings remain and manifest in various ways. The reason I’m finally sharing this traumatic experience is for my healing and because I’m done being silent. I don’t believe it’s fair for someone to not be held accountable for their horrific actions. I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor."

Manson denied the allegations.

(Credit: Alamy)3. February 2021 — Phoebe Bridgers

The singer wrote on Twitter about her alleged experience at Manson's home when she was a teenager. "I went to Marilyn Manson’s house when I was a teenager with some friends. I was a big fan," she said.

"He referred to a room in his house as the 'rape room', I thought it was just his horrible frat-boy sense of humour. I stopped being a fan. I stand with everyone who came forward."

She also claimed that "the label knew, management knew, the band knew. Distancing themselves now, pretending to be shocked and horrified is f*cking pathetic."

Manson has denied the allegations.

(Credit: Alamy)4. February 2021 — Ellie Rowsell

Wolf Alice singer, Ellie Rowsell, took to Twitter on February 6th, 2021, to accuse Manson of filming up her skirt while backstage at a festival.

"Solidarity to Evan Rachel Wood and those calling out Marilyn Manson. It's sad to see people defending him, just because he put his depravity in plain sight doesn't give him a free pass to abuse women?!" she wrote.

"I met Marilyn backstage at a festival a few years ago," she continued. "After his compliments towards my band became more and more hyperbolic I became suspicious of his behaviour. I was shocked to look down and see he was filming up my skirt with a gopro. There were no repercussions for his behaviour," she wrote, adding that a member of his tour staff said, "'he does this kind of thing all the time.'"

Manson has denied the allegations.

(Credit: Alamy)5. February 2021 — Esme Bianco

In an interview with New York Magazine on February 10th, 2021, the Game of Thrones actress called Manson a "monster who almost destroyed me and almost destroyed so many women".

She alleged that over the course of their relationship, Manson assaulted her in a music video shoot and during sex. She also claimed that he controlled her life, once chased her with an axe and cut her with a knife.

"I basically felt like a prisoner," she told the publication. "I came and went at his pleasure. Who I spoke to was completely controlled by him. I called my family hiding in the closet."

In a lawsuit filed on April 30th, Bianco claims that Manson "raped" her "in or around May 2011" when she was "unconscious or otherwise unable to consent". She also says that Mason and his former manager, Tony Ciulla, violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act when the rocker "employed fraud" to convince her to move to America for a video and movie that didn't transpire.

On May 1st, the Associated Press reported that Manson denied Bianco's allegations. A statement from his lawyer read: "These claims are provably false. To be clear, this suit was only filed after my client refused to be shaken down by Ms. Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their outrageous financial demands based on conduct that simply never occurred. We will vigorously contest these allegations in court and are confident that we will prevail."

(Credit: People / Instagram)6. May 2021 — Ashley Morgan Smithline

In a new interview with People, model Ashley Morgan Smithline dubbed her ex, Manson, the "most terrifying monster in the world".

She accused the rocker of raping her, cutting her, and locking her in a glass, soundproof room – which he allegedly called "the bad girls’ room" – whenever she "p*ssed him off".

"He kept telling me, ‘you can’t rape someone that you’re in love with'," Smithline told the publication. "There’s a difference between waking up to someone having sex with you nicely in the morning and waking up tied up with someone having sex with your unconscious body, being tied up and screaming and not enjoying it, and him laughing, like, sadistically, or gagging my mouth or something."

She also claimed that she was brainwashed by Manson over the course of their two-year relationship — which she says spanned between 2010 and 2012 — alleging that the musician once carved his initials into her thigh. She said this still makes her feel "disgusting".

"He cut me on my stomach and then drank my blood. Then, he had me drink his," Smithline continued. "The more I let him hurt me, the more I loved him and the more I was proving myself to him."

A spokesperson for Manson has since denied the most recent accusations against the Sweet Dreams singer, stating, per The Independent: "There are so many falsehoods within her claims that we wouldn’t know where to begin to answer them. This relationship, to the limited extent it was a relationship, didn’t last one week."

A woman who initially accused Marilyn Manson of sexually abusing her has now claimed that she was pressured into coming forward with abuse allegations.

Ashley Morgan Smithline, the former girlfriend of the 54-year-old alternative metal musician, has previously made damning accusations of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. In 2021 she told PEOPLE that she was in a relationship with Manson - whose legal name is Brian Warner - between 2010 and 2013. That same year, she filed a lawsuit against Manson accusing him of sexual assault, human trafficking, and unlawful imprisonment.

Per NBC News, Smithline claimed that Manson had whipped her; carved his initials into her body; raped her while she was unconscious; and forced her to partake in consuming drugs and alcohol. At the time, Smithline was photographed in exclusive images for PEOPLE wearing a towel that showed off a scar on her leg that she alleged was caused by Manson.

In the same interview, Smithline claims that meeting Manson's other accusers in 2020 - namely Manson's ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood and Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco - helped her to heal from the abuse she suffered.

However, Smithline is now backtracking on her claims, suggesting that Wood had pressured her to come forward with embellished accusations. In a recent court document, Smithline states that she was "manipulated" to come forward and had actually denied being abused when meeting with Wood in 2020.

"When I said, no this did not happen to me and this was not my experience, I recall being told by Ms. Wood that just because I could not remember did not necessarily mean that it did not happen," the statement in the filing read.

Wood is one of several women who has taken legal action against Manson - she was in a relationship with him from 2006 to 2010, around the time his marriage to Dita Von Teese began failing. As previously reported, she has claimed Manson subjected her to "sick rituals" that included Manson mentally and physically torturing Wood while her hands and feet were bound, until she had "proven" her love for him.

The Cut unearthed an interview Manson gave to the Spin after he and Wood had a brief breakup in 2009. In the interview, he states that he called Wood 158 on Christmas Day in 2008, and cut his face and hands to "show her the pain she put me through." Wood would have been 21 at the time, and Manson 39.

Though the 'Long Hard Road Out Of Hell' singer clearly disagrees with the claims, as he sued Wood for defamation, and alleged that she "engaged in a 'conspiracy' to smear him as 'a rapist and abuser' in an effort to sabotage his 'successful music, TV, and film career'," per the Daily Mail. Following the accusations, Manson was dropped by both his agent and his record label.

His attorney Howard King released a statement after Smithline backtracked on her previous statements, saying: "As we have always said, the coordinated campaign of #MeToo lies against Brian Warner is going to go down as one of the greatest hoaxes of all time. Vulnerable women were manipulated by unscrupulous individuals seeking to build their own brands and pursue their own vendettas."

Featured image credit: MediaPunch Inc / Alamy

Marilyn Manson has broken his silence after five women, including his ex-fiancé Evan Rachel Wood, accused him of sexual misconduct.

Yesterday, the 33-year-old Westworld actress took to her official Instagram account to share an official statement with her 911,000 followers on Monday, January 1.

Wood stated:

"The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson."

"He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission.

"I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him before he ruins more lives.

"I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent."

Responding to the accusations made by Wood, whom Manson first met when she was 18-years-old, Manson wrote in an official statement addressed to his 3.6 million followers:

"Obviously, my life and my art have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality.

"My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth."

Per NME, four other accusers have come forward with accusations of their own in the wake of Wood's allegations, accusing the musician of grooming and abusing them.

For instance, model Sarah McNeilly wrote on Instagram: "He (Brian Warner aka Marilyn Manson) lured me in with 'love bombing.'

"As he was wooing me I would come to find out he was torturing others. Before long I was the one being tortured. I was emotionally abused, terrorized, and scarred. I was locked in rooms when I was 'bad', sometimes forced to listen to him entertaining other women.

"I was told stories of others who tried to tell their story and their pets ended up dead. I wasn’t allowed to go near other artists working on the same set, as he told me they had aids and were disgusting and if I did so he would be very upset and: 'I wouldn’t want that.'

"I was verbally berated for hours upon hours. Blamed for everything under the sun in order to make me feel worthless. Any male friends in my life were not allowed any longer. He threatened to shank one of them after they posted something on my Facebook page.

"I was thrown up against a wall and he threatened to bash my face in with the baseball bat he was holding, for trying to get him to pick out a pair of pants prior to a music video.

"I witnessed him terrorize and abuse others in my presence. Slander his exes. I have been afraid to bring any spotlight upon myself as to avoid winding up in his crosshairs again.

"As a result of the way he treated me, I suffer from mental health issues and PTSD that have affected my personal and professional relationships, self-worth, and personal goals."

Meanwhile, in a statement of her own, a woman named Ashley Lindsay Morgan alleged that she too had been abused by Manson after meeting him in Bangkok and starting a relationship with him.

Morgan stated: "I was given rules and got 'in trouble' for any behavior he didn't approve of. There was abuse, sexual violence, physical violence, and coercion. I still feel the effects every day."

She added: "I don't want him to do this to anyone else and I've felt responsible for others getting hurt for so long. I just thought it was somehow my fault. I know he is still doing this to a rotating door of young girls, and causing irreparable damage."

On Instagram, another woman named Gabriella wrote: "It has taken me five years to speak out and say that I was in an abusive relationship. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and still suffer from nightmares.

"I blocked out a lot of the memories, but the feelings remain and manifest in various ways. The reason I’m finally sharing this traumatic experience is for my healing and because I’m done being silent.

"I don’t believe it’s fair for someone to not be held accountable for their horrific actions. I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor."

Per Far Out magazine, another woman named Ashley Walters also wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post: "I continue to suffer from PTSD, and struggle with depression. I stayed in touch with quite a few people who went through their own traumas, under his control.

"As we all struggled, as survivors do, to get on with our lives, I’d keep hearing stories disturbingly similar to our own experiences."

"It became clear the abuse he’s caused; he continues to inflict on so many and I cannot stand by and let this happen to others. Brian Warner needs to be held accountable."

Marilyn Manson has been accused of abuse by a further four women following actress Evan Rachel Wood's claims on Instagram.

The controversy began on Sunday, January 31, when the 33-year-old Westworld actress made a statement made on her official Instagram account, in which she wrote: "The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson."

Wood continued:

"He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission.

"I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him before he ruins more lives. 

"I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent." 

According to NME, four other accusers have since come forward in lengthy and detailed statements of their own in the wake of Wood's allegations, accusing the metal icon of systematically grooming and abusing them over a number of occasions.

For instance, model Sarah McNeilly wrote on Instagram:

"He (Brian Warner aka Marilyn Manson) lured me in with 'love bombing.' Posing as the perfect boyfriend. Claiming he was just misunderstood. Charming, smart, funny, charismatic.

"As he was wooing me I would come to find out he was torturing others. Before long I was the one being tortured. I was emotionally abused, terrorized, and scarred. I was locked in rooms when I was 'bad', sometimes forced to listen to him entertaining other women.

"I was told stories of others who tried to tell their story and their pets ended up dead. I wasn’t allowed to go near other artists working on the same set, as he told me they had aids and were disgusting and if I did so he would be very upset and: 'I wouldn’t want that.'

"I was verbally berated for hours upon hours. Blamed for everything under the sun in order to make me feel worthless. Any male friends in my life were not allowed any longer. He threatened to shank one of them after they posted something on my Facebook page.

"I was thrown up against a wall and he threatened to bash my face in with the baseball bat he was holding, for trying to get him to pick out a pair of pants prior to a music video.

"I witnessed him terrorize and abuse others in my presence. Slander his exes. I have been afraid to bring any spotlight upon myself as to avoid winding up in his crosshairs again.

"As a result of the way he treated me, I suffer from mental health issues and PTSD that have affected my personal and professional relationships, self-worth, and personal goals.

"I believe he gets off on ruining people's lives. I stand in support of all that have and all will come forward. I want to see Brian held accountable for his evil."

Meanwhile, in a statement of her own, a woman named Ashley Lindsay Morgan alleged that she too had been abused by Manson after meeting him in Bangkok and starting a relationship with him.

Morgan stated: "I was given rules and got 'in trouble' for any behavior he didn't approve of. There was abuse, sexual violence, physical violence, and coercion. I still feel the effects every day."

She added: "I don't want him to do this to anyone else and I've felt responsible for others getting hurt for so long. I just thought it was somehow my fault. I know he is still doing this to a rotating door of young girls, and causing irreparable damage."

On Instagram, another woman named Gabriella wrote: "It has taken me five years to speak out and say that I was in an abusive relationship. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and still suffer from nightmares.

"I blocked out a lot of the memories, but the feelings remain and manifest in various ways. The reason I’m finally sharing this traumatic experience is for my healing and because I’m done being silent.

"I don’t believe it’s fair for someone to not be held accountable for their horrific actions. I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor."

Per Far Out magazine, another woman named Ashley Walters also wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post: "I continue to suffer from PTSD, and struggle with depression. I stayed in touch with quite a few people who went through their own traumas, under his control.

"As we all struggled, as survivors do, to get on with our lives, I’d keep hearing stories disturbingly similar to our own experiences."

"It became clear the abuse he’s caused; he continues to inflict on so many and I cannot stand by and let this happen to others. Brian Warner needs to be held accountable."

Responding to the rumours of domestic violence in a statement made in November of 2020, a spokesperson for Manson wrote: "Personal testimony is just that, and we think it’s inappropriate to comment on that."

The spokesperson added: "Unfortunately, we live in a time where people believe what they read on the Internet, and feel free to say what they want with no actual evidence.

"The effects can be catastrophic and promoting non-fact-based information is wholly irresponsible. All we can try and do, as the media and individuals, is to use facts and truth and not hide behind gossip and conjecture to further our own agendas."

VT has contacted Marilyn Manson's rep for comment.

Evan Rachel Wood has promised to "expose" her ex-fiancé Marilyn Manson, alleging that the musician "horrifically [abused]" and "[brainwashed]" her.

In a statement made on her official Instagram account, the 33-year-old Westworld actress wrote: "The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson."

Wood continued:

"He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission.

"I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him before he ruins more lives. 

"I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent." 

Per Page Six, Wood first met Manson when she was 18-years-old and he was 36. The couple was engaged for a brief time but then broke up in 2010.

Wood previously alleged that she had been the victim of sexual assault and domestic abuse in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, although she did not name Manson as the culprit, stating:

"I've been raped. By a significant other while we were together. And on a separate occasion, by the owner of a bar… I don’t believe we live in a time where people can stay silent any longer. Not given the state our world is in with its blatant bigotry and sexism."

Responding to the rumours of domestic violence in a later statement, published in November of 2020, a spokesperson for Manson wrote: "Personal testimony is just that, and we think it’s inappropriate to comment on that."

The spokesperson added: "Unfortunately, we live in a time where people believe what they read on the Internet, and feel free to say what they want with no actual evidence.

"The effects can be catastrophic and promoting non-fact-based information is wholly irresponsible. All we can try and do, as the media and individuals, is to use facts and truth and not hide behind gossip and conjecture to further our own agendas."

VT has contacted Marilyn Manson's rep for comment.