Marilyn Manson Denies On-Set Rape Allegation by Evan Rachel Wood

In new documentary 'Phoenix Rising,' Wood alleges that Manson penetrated her without consent while performing a simulated sex scene

Photo: Evan Rachel Wood by Gage Skidmore (left), Marilyn Manson by Andreas Lawen (right)

BY Kaelen BellPublished Jan 25, 2022

Yesterday (January 24), it was revealed that Amy Berg's two-part documentary Phoenix Rising — chronicling the history of Evan Rachel Wood's allegations of abuse against accused rapist Marilyn Manson — includes an interview segment in which Wood details the "first crime committed against [her]" by Manson, an assault that Wood describes as "essentially rape" on the set of Manson's video for 2007's "Heart-Shaped Glasses."

The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.

Today, Manson has released a statement through his legal team denying the alleged rape, saying that he "did not have sex with Evan on that set, and she knows that is the truth."

The lawyer's statement continues:

Of all the false claims that Evan Rachel Wood has made about Brian Warner [Manson], her imaginative retelling of the making of the "Heart-Shaped Glasses" music video 15 years ago is the most brazen and easiest to disprove, because there were multiple witnesses. 

Evan was not only fully coherent and engaged during the three-day shoot but also heavily involved in weeks of pre-production planning and days of post-production editing of the final cut. The simulated sex scene took several hours to shoot with multiple takes using different angles and several long breaks in between camera setups.


In the interview segment, Wood described the event as being "nothing like I thought it was going to be. We're doing things that were not what was pitched to me. We had discussed a simulated sex scene, but once the cameras were rolling, he started penetrating me for real. I had never agreed to that…"

She continues: "It was complete chaos. I did not feel safe. No one was looking after me. It was a really traumatizing experience filming the video. I felt disgusting and that I had done something shameful and I could tell that the crew was uncomfortable and nobody knew what to do.

I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretences. That's when the first crime was committed against me. I was essentially raped on-camera."

Manson has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, sexual misconduct, psychological and physical abuse and rape by multiple women. He continues to deny all allegations. 

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