Actress Evan Rachel Wood and shock rocker Marilyn Manson have made headlines for more than a year after Wood publicly named the singer as her abuser in 2020. Wood detailed her “traumatizing” experience with Manson and she alleges she was “essentially r*ped on camera” during the filming of Manson’s 2007 single “Heart-Shaped Glasses (When The Heart Guides The Hand).” She alleges she was mentally and physically tortured by Manson. Wood spoke out for the documentary “Phoenix Rising,” which will air in two parts next month on HBO.
The film’s official synopsis reads: “The documentary follows actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood as she takes her experience as a survivor of domestic violence to pursue justice, heal generational wounds and reclaim her story. Almost a decade after escaping a dangerous relationship, Wood co-authors and successfully lobbies for passage of The Phoenix Act, legislation that extends the statute of limitations for domestic violence cases in California. Wood courageously uses her own experience to bring visibility to the issue; ultimately, in solidarity with fellow survivors.”
“I’m here to talk today about Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” Wood said in the trailer. “Numerous women heard my story, and they knew exactly who it was. I realized that I wasn’t the only one this had happened to.” Manson’s lawyer, Howard King, previously said the singer “vehemently denies any and all claims of sexual assault or abuse of anyone.” Manson himself has called the allegations “horrible distortions of reality,” and are part of a “coordinated attack” by women who are “cynically and dishonestly seeking to monetize and exploit the #MeToo movement.” “Phoenix Rising” premiered at the Sundance film festival on Jan. 23.
Wood said that learning about the testimonies from other Manson accusers “was like finding out you dated a serial killer. This isn’t about revenge, or, ‘He’s a monster and he needs to be punished and destroyed.’ He’s already destroyed.”
