Marilyn Manson’s major legal win as ex-assistant’s sexual battery lawsuit is DISMISSED for second time

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Marilyn Manson has won a significant legal battle. A judge dismissed a sexual battery lawsuit filed by his former assistant, just weeks before the case was scheduled to go to court.

Ashley Walters sued Marilyn Manson in May 2021, claiming she suffered severe abuse while working for him between 2010 and 2011. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles.

Walters alleged that while briefly working with Manson, she experienced sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. She stated she didn’t remember these events until 2020, when the memories resurfaced.

Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, strongly denies the claims made by Evan Rachel Wood and has repeatedly tried to get the lawsuit dismissed. His legal team argues the case was filed too late, violating California’s two-year deadline for such claims.

The suit was initially dismissed in May 2022 but revived in December 2023 on appeal. 

Los Angeles County Judge Steve Cochran dismissed Walter’s lawsuit for the second time during Tuesday’s court hearing, stating the claim was filed too late, according to Rolling Stone.

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for both Manson and Walters, but they haven’t received a response yet.

Judge Cochran stated that the complaint wasn’t filed for roughly ten years after the events happened, and he doesn’t believe the legal principle allowing for delayed discovery applies in this case.

I’m not able to decide if the delayed discovery rule applies to this situation.

Kate McFarlane, Walters’ lawyer, told Rolling Stone that her client is considering an appeal after the ruling, and shared their reaction to it.

McFarlane expressed disappointment with the decision, stating it was a mistake. She explained that the delayed discovery rule is meant to help survivors of sexual abuse pursue legal action, especially in cases where abusers intentionally prevented them from reporting the abuse sooner.

We’ve seen this pattern repeatedly, and unfortunately, the legal system hasn’t kept pace with scientific understanding or the needs of those harmed. However, I’m optimistic that things will change.

Meanwhile, Manson’s lawyer Howard King celebrated the dismissal in a statement to the outlet.

King expressed relief that, after a long legal battle, the judge clearly saw the facts and determined Brian Warner had been wrongly accused.

‘It’s nice for him to get some justice, though it was at great personal cost. Now he can move on.’

I was absolutely horrified when I read about Ashley Walters’ lawsuit against Marilyn Manson. Apparently, back in 2021, she detailed how he used his fame and influence to really take advantage of her when she worked for him – from August 2010 to October 2011. It’s just awful to think about how he allegedly exploited her while she was under his employment. It breaks my heart, honestly.

Walters first said the abuse began in 2010, after she met him through MySpace. He had reached out to compliment her photography, and they connected at a photo shoot.

The singer is accused of physically and sexually assaulting the woman during a photoshoot. She claims he held her down on a bed, bit her ear, and forced her hand against his body. She stated she managed to get away and left feeling confused and frightened.

She later said the singer repeatedly messaged her and tried to bribe her to remain with him. According to Rolling Stone, over the following year, he supposedly became violent when drunk, throwing dishes, threatening to end his life, and even pushing her against a wall.

The lawsuit claims the artist, once a popular name, brought Walters to an awards show in 2010 and then pushed her into an actor’s lap, suggesting the actor could have a relationship with her.

‘The actor proceeded to kiss Walters and keep her on his lap,’ the lawsuit said.

She accused Marilyn Manson of several abuses, including forcing her to stay awake for 12 hours while taking photos of him and using cocaine, and physically whipping her and others while telling them to endure the pain. She also alleged that he would throw hatchets when enraged and once violently threw a prop skull at his then-fiancee, Evan Rachel Wood, leaving a visible mark, according to Rolling Stone.

Walters realized she was being abused after connecting with other women who had also been in relationships with Manson, including Evan Rachel Wood and Esmé Bianco, in October 2020.

After meeting with Manson, Walters began therapy and realized she had been abused. Through therapy, she understood that she had quickly blocked out the memories of his harmful behavior as a coping mechanism.

Manson has consistently refuted the claims made by Walters. His legal team argues that the alleged abuse, which reportedly happened between 2010 and 2011, falls outside the legal timeframe for filing a lawsuit.

Walters contends her lawsuit is still timely because of the ‘delayed discovery’ rule. This rule sometimes lets plaintiffs begin counting the deadline from when they realized they were harmed, rather than from the moment the harm actually occurred.

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2025-12-17 05:04