Long court battle

Manson drops lawsuit against Evan Rachel Wood

The US shock rocker has to pay the actress 327,000 dollars.(Bild: APA/Scott Wintrow / Getty Images North America / AFP)

His attempt to "silence and intimidate" Wood had failed, according to a statement from her legal team. Controversial US shock rocker Marilyn Manson (55) has dropped a defamation lawsuit against his former partner Evan Rachel Wood (37). 

As part of the settlement, Manson must now pay the actress around 327,000 dollars (around 311,000 euros) to cover her legal fees. This was reported by "Rolling Stone" magazine. Manson's lawyer, in turn, wrote in a statement that his client was happy to drop the lawsuit in order to close this chapter of his life.

Long court battle preceded decision
Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles in 2022. In it, he accused Wood and her girlfriend Illma Gore of publicly portraying him as a rapist and abuser and encouraging other women to make allegations against him.

Manson claimed that this had damaged his career. He demanded damages in an undisclosed amount. Last year, a judge rejected the claim in large part and the musician appealed.

Accusation of "horrific" abuse
Wood had accused her ex-boyfriend of years of "horrific" abuse in an Instagram post in February 2021. The singer immediately denied this at the time. Other women subsequently brought allegations or lawsuits against Manson, accusing him of sexual or other forms of violence. Some of these court cases have since been settled, others are still ongoing.

Musically, Manson had gone quiet in recent years, but the rock singer recently returned with a new album. "One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1", his first record in four years, was released last week.