Marilyn Manson Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against Evan Rachel Wood

The musician will pay $327,000 in legal fees after a judge dismissed key claims in his 2022 lawsuit against the actress.

Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, has agreed to drop his defamation lawsuit against Evan Rachel Wood and pay her nearly $327,000 in attorney fees.
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, accused Wood and her associate Illma Gore of conspiring to defame Manson and encouraging other women to come forward with abuse allegations.
A Los Angeles judge dismissed significant portions of the lawsuit in 2023, ruling that Manson's claims lacked merit under California's anti-SLAPP statute protecting free speech.
Wood publicly accused Manson of grooming and abuse in 2021, allegations she detailed in the HBO documentary 'Phoenix Rising,' which Manson has denied.
The settlement concludes a two-year legal battle, but a separate criminal investigation into abuse allegations against Manson, involving multiple women, remains ongoing.