Evan Rachel Wood showed her support for the women — who like her — came forward to accuse Marilyn Manson of sexual violence after the shock rocker escaped criminal charges on Friday.
“I am grateful for the work law enforcement has done, and I am endlessly proud of all the survivors who risked everything to protect others by speaking the truth,” the “Thirteen” star, 37, wrote in a statement via a private Instagram account.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a press release Friday that his office would not pursue charges against Manson, 56, following a “comprehensive” four-year investigation.
He said the sexual assault claims could not be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt” and the domestic violence claims had fallen “outside of the statute of limitations.”
Wood said that she and her legal team “always knew that the statute of limitations would be a barrier,” which is why they created the Phoenix Act, a California law that extends the statute of limitations in domestic violence cases from three to five years and was signed in 2020.
The “Westworld” alum then alleged, “My lawyer and I were advised by the Deputy District Attorneys and the Sheriff deputies who investigated the case that there was compelling evidence to support our claims, but that the statute of limitations prevents many of those crimes from being prosecuted.
“Unfortunately, the Phoenix Act cannot help in cases which occurred before it was passed, but I hope this shines a light on why it’s so important to advocate for better laws.”
Wood concluded by saying that “evidence of violent crimes should not have an expiration date.”
The “Barefoot” star dated Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, from 2007 to 2010. The former couple was briefly engaged for eight months before they split.
However, in 2021, Wood accused the “Dope Show” rocker of grooming and abusing her.
“He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years,” she alleged via Instagram and in a statement to Vanity Fair at the time.
“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 had previously hinted at her claims in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone but did not name Manson.
The “Beautiful People” singer denied the allegations and then sued Wood for defamation in 2022, claiming his ex and her on-again, off-again girlfriend, Illma Gore, conspired against him for financial gain.
Manson then dropped the suit this past November to “close the door on this chapter of his life,” his attorney, Howard King, said in a statement.
Aside from Wood, though, several other women accused the “Tainted Love” singer of sexual assault, including Ashley Smithline — who then retracted her claims and alleged Wood “manipulated” her into making them — and actress Esmé Bianco, who stands by her allegations but whose suit was settled.
The “Game of Thrones” alum, 42, wrote via Instagram Friday that she is “deeply disappointed” in the LA DA’s decision but is “sadly not surprised.”
She called out in part a “toxic culture of victim blaming” and “statute of limitations that do not support the realities of healing.”
“Once again, our justice system has failed survivors,” Bianco added. “… My healing and peace could not be reliant upon the outcome of a desperately broken system. I know the truth of what happened to me.”
Manson, meanwhile, has maintained his innocence, with his lawyer telling Page Six Friday, “We are very pleased that, after a thorough and incredibly lengthy review of all of the actual evidence, the District Attorney has concluded what we knew and expressed from the start – Brian Warner is innocent.”
A source added exclusively to us that the rocker feels like “a two ton weight has been taken off his back.”
“He’s faced the threat of criminal prosecution year after year, booking shows not knowing whether he’d legally be able to go to them,” the insider further explained of Manson’s mindset.
“It’s just a huge weight off him, it’s a sense of vindication of everything he’s been saying that these women have various motives having nothing to do with them being attacked and everything to do with them getting either money or personal fame.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
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