Marilyn Manson Being Sued for Sexual Assault of a Minor

Content warning: This story contains descriptions of assault and violence against a minor.

Marilyn Manson is being taken to court by a woman who asserts that the artist sexually abused her while she was still underage and psychologically groomed her into accompanying him on tour.

Shortly after Brian Warner, known by his stage name as Marilyn Manson, reached a settlement with Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco who accused him of sexual, physical and emotional abuse – four other women came forward with lawsuits. This followed the allegations that were brought up in February 2021 by Evan Rachel Wood claiming she was abused during their relationship 10 years prior.

In stark contrast to the 2010 abuse allegations, this recent lawsuit was initiated from an event that took place in 1995 at the start of R. Kelly’s career. The adult plaintiff — under pseudonym “Jane Doe”– is taking legal action against Warner Music Group, Interscope Records and Nothing Records for counts including sexual battery and negligence with claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress.

According to the plaintiff, she first encountered Warner after attending his Dallas concert at 16 years old; he had invited her and another girl onto his tour bus, inquiring about their ages, school grades, home addresses and phone numbers., according to Rolling Stone.

“While on the tour bus, Defendant Warner performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon Plaintiff, who was a virgin at the time, including but not limited to forced copulation and vaginal penetration,” the lawsuit claims. The age of consent in Texas at the time was, and still is, 17. “One of the band members watched Defendant Warner sexually assault Plaintiff,” the suit says. “Plaintiff was in pain, scared, upset, humiliated and confused. After he was done, Defendant Warner laughed at her. … Then Defendant Warner demanded Plaintiff to ‘get the fuck off of my bus’ and threatened Plaintiff that, if she told anyone, he would kill her and her family.”

However, the woman says she continued to be in touch with Warner, who allegedly convinced her to travel to meet him in New Orleans where he was playing a concert, when she was still 16. There she says he began grooming her, and she would continue to see him over the next couple of years while accompanying him on tour.

The filing furthermore states that Warner had deliberately and intentionally set up the necessary tactics to scare and suppress Jane Doe while she was still a minor.

“Throughout the tour and while within the State of New York, when Plaintiff was with Defendant Warner both on concert days and on off days, Defendant Warner coerced her to have sex with him,” the suit claims. “Defendant Warner often coerced Plaintiff to have sex with him and other band members or his assistant at the same time. Defendant Warner controlled what Plaintiff could do, who could touch Plaintiff, and who he wanted Plaintiff to be with sexually, all while providing Plaintiff with drugs.”

The lawsuit brought against Interscope and Nothing Records declares that these labels were cognizant of Warner’s “practice of sexually violating minors,” while they in turn “abetted such behavior.”

“As a result of Brian Warner’s sexual abuse and assault, enabled and encouraged by Defendants Interscope and Nothing Records, Plaintiff has suffered severe emotional, physical, and psychological distress, including shame, and guilt, economic loss, economic capacity and emotional loss,” the filing states.

For more than two years, a multitude of women have spoken out against Warner and accused him of sexual assault and abuse. Yet, despite the settlement from the latest lawsuit, he has not yet been found guilty – although another anonymous woman is still in the process of suing him.

In March 2021, Warner prosecuted Wood and her colleague Illma Gore for defamation of character, emotional distress, and falsely representing themselves as FBI agents. The trial is expected to take place before the end of the year.

If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.