Marilyn Manson drops defamation lawsuit against ex-girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood

Marilyn Manson has dropped his defamation lawsuit against ex Evan Rachel Wood.

The 55-year-old musician sued the 37-year-old actress in 2022 for defamation, fraud, and emotional distress, accusing her of making him out to be a "rapist and abuser" and leading to his "successful music, TV and film career" to be "derailed".

Evan — who was in a relationship with the Dope Show hitmaker between 2007 and 2010 — claimed her former fiance "essentially raped" her while filming a music video and subjected her to abuse.

Manson — whose real name is Brian Warner — has now agreed to pay her full legal fee amounting to US$327,000 (S$439,000) after previously requesting to pay a partial sum towards the costs.

Evan's attorney believes Manson — who has been accused of sexual and physical abuse by multiple women since she accused him of sexual assault and abuse in 2021 — staged the defamation lawsuit to "undermine the credibility" of his "many accusers" and to "revive his faltering career".

Responding to Manson's decision to drop the lawsuit, Michael J. Kump told Variety: "Marilyn Manson — whose real name is Brian Warner — filed a lawsuit against Wood as a publicity stunt to try to undermine the credibility of his many accusers and revive his faltering career. But his attempt to silence and intimidate Wood failed.

"As the trial court correctly found, Warner's claims were meritless. Warner's decision to finally abandon his lawsuit and pay Wood her full fee award of almost US$327,000 only confirms as much."

Manson's attorney, Howard King, commented: "After four years of fighting a battle where he was able to tell the truth, Brian is pleased to dismiss his still-pending claims and appeal in order to close the door on this chapter of his life."

In February 2021, Evan claimed Manson "horrifically abused her for years", while Game of Thrones star Esme Bianco accused him of sexual assault and sexual battery.

Manson denied the allegations and described claims against him as "horrible distortions of reality".

"It was all good. I love her. I'm like the biggest fan of her music, and I told her that. I was like, you're literally my role model. It's all good.

"People make such a big deal out of everything when it's on the internet, but, like, in reality, it's like a two-minute thing."

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