Marilyn Manson has come to a legal resolution with a woman who had accused him of rape in 2011, thus avoiding the impending trial
The legal representatives for the woman, referred to as ‘Jane Doe’ in trial documents and a former girlfriend of the singer, submitted a notice of settlement to the Superior Court of California on Wednesday, September 27. The trial, initially scheduled to commence in Los Angeles next week, will no longer proceed.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleged that Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, had raped her in 2011, subjected her to deprivation of food and sleep, and issued threats of violence if she were to report the abuse.
In a statement delivered to Rolling Stone, ‘Jane Doe’ admits that she was initially reluctant to agree to a settlement.
“I was fully prepared for trial and never in a million years thought I would ever settle, but over the past two-and-a-half years I have silently endured threats, bullying, harassment and various forms of intimidation that have intensified over the past few weeks,” she states. “Marilyn Manson attended my deposition, and I was forced to answer seven hours of aggressive questioning with him staring at me from across the table. I’ve been told that this almost never happens, as it’s cruel, and that a main reason for it would be to intimidate and inflict emotional distress on a victim.
She adds: “I never cared about money and only ever wanted justice, but if we had gone to trial, I could have lost my right to anonymity and been victim-blamed on a large and public scale. Most importantly I could have risked losing the freedom to tell my story, and that is worth more than anything in the world.”
Warner’s attorney, Howard King, says that the singer is “pleased” to have reached a settlement in the case.
“Brian is pleased that, just as previous lawsuits were abandoned without payment or settled for pennies on the dollar, this plaintiff has now agreed to drop her suit in exchange for an insurance payment representing a fraction of her demands and far less than the cost to Brian of proceeding to trial,” he said in a statement.
It is worth noting that in January, Marilyn Manson had reached an agreement with Game of Thrones star Esmé Bianco, settling her claims of rape, battery, and violations of California’s human trafficking laws, despite Manson’s denial of the allegations made by Bianco.
Bianco‘s lawyer, Jay Ellwanger, told Rolling Stone, “Ms. Bianco has agreed to resolve her claims against Brian Warner and Marilyn Manson Records, Inc. in order to move on with her life and career.”