On Friday (April 30), it was revealed that Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco had taken legal action against Marilyn Manson after making claims earlier in the year detailing a sexual assault. Manson’s lawyer, Howard E. King, has issued a statement claiming that the accusations are “provably false” and alleging that Bianco moved forward with the suit after Manson refused to give in to her financial demands.
King said in his statement to the Associated Press, “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.”
In the court documents, Bianco accused Manson of drugging, torturing and raping her over the course of their relationship. She revealed that after initially meeting Manson in 2005, the musician flew her to Los Angeles in 2009 to appear in one of his videos and it was during this trip that the abuse started.
The couple started a sexual relationship after that video shoot and Manson convinced her to move to Los Angeles and live with him. During this time, she says she was subjected to sleep deprivation, verbal abuse and she cited several instances of sexual battery without her consent. Manson is also accused of not letting Bianco leave his home without permission, chasing her around with an ax and cutting her with a “Nazi knife.”
On Feb. 1, actress Evan Rachel Wood publicly named Marilyn Manson as her abuser after previously providing congressional testimony about abuse in 2018. Once Wood went public with her claims against Manson that opened the door for more people to come forward. A former personal assistant backed Wood’s claims.
A stylist claimed the musician had put a gun to her head, and another actress, Bianca Allaine, revealed in late February that she was set to meet with the FBI to relay details of her sexual relationship with the singer.
As claims started to mount, Manson issued a statement that read: ”Obviously, my art and my life 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.”
After the initial claims, Manson was dropped from his label, removed from acting roles and his manager of 25 years severed ties with the musician.
If you or someone you know is facing abuse, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website. A disclaimer on the website notes that if you are concerned your Internet usage is being monitored, an alternative option is to call 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233).
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, resources are available for help. Visit the RAINN website (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) or dial 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).