Marilyn Manson Lawsuit Dismissal Denied, Court Orders Musician to File Formal Responses to Esmé Bianco Claims

Esmé Bianco's lawsuit against Marilyn Manson for claims of sexual and physical abuse is set to proceed after a U.S. District Court judge struck down an attempt for dismissal that was being sought by Manson's lawyers. Now, the embattled shock rocker — real name Brian Warner — and his attorneys have 14 days to file a formal response to each of the Game of Thrones actress' claims.

Bianco originally detailed incidents of domestic violence, abuse, sexual assault and psychological trauma earlier this year February and, in April, she followed up by pursuing legal action against Manson with claims she was drugged, tortured and raped during their relationship. Multiple other women have also filed lawsuits against Manson for similar reasons, all rooted in sexual assault.

Manson's lawyers filed for dismissal (per a recent Metal Hammer report) of Bianco's lawsuit in late July, but a judge has rejected the attempt and noted that the statute-of-limitations was not significant enough because "a reasonable jury could find that the effects of Warner's alleged unconscionable acts, including the perceived threat to the Plaintiff's [Bianco] safety, immigration status, and career, persisted years after her last contact with Warner."

"My hope is that this ruling empowers other survivors to pursue justice for themselves while signaling to abusers that they cannot bully victims into silence," said Bianco after the judge's latest ruling.

Prior to the motion for dismissal, Manson's lawyer, Howard E. King, responded to Bianco's allegations by stating, "These claims are provably false. To be clear, this suit was only filed after my client refused to be shaken down by Ms. Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their outrageous financial demands based on conduct that simply never occurred. We will vigorously contest these allegations in court and are confident that we will prevail."

View a timeline of abuse allegations against Marilyn Manson made by several women directly below.

Meanwhile, a rape lawsuit against Marilyn Manson, filed by an anonymous woman, was recently rejected based on statute of limitations. The lawsuit was quickly refiled by the 'Jane Doe' plaintiff.