Marilyn Manson Lawyer Open to ‘Global’ Settlement Talks in Sexual Assault Cases
After a year in which Marilyn Manson was accused of sexual assault and sued by multiple women, it appears that movement is starting to happen concerning at least one and possibly more of the legal matters. According to Rolling Stone, a lawyer for the musician has opened the door for possible "global" settlement talks with multiple women.
During a court hearing in Los Angeles, Manson defense lawyer Stephen D. Rothschild stated that the singer was open to settlement discussions with a Jane Doe former girlfriend who claimed that he had raped her in 2011. After the initial remarks, he then added that other settlements could follow.
“There are other cases that are somewhat related, and so as things progress, we may decide that it’s best to have a global mediation. I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon, but it is in the cards,” Rothschild said.
Earlier this year, multiple women accused Manson of abuse. Actress Evan Rachel Wood, a former fiancée of the musician, led the charge against the rock star whose real name is Brian Warner. The singer denied the allegations but subsequently faced related lawsuits from accusers such as actress Esmé Bianco and model Ashley Morgan Smithline. In the fallout, he was dropped by his record label and talent agent. While more than a dozen women have made claims against Manson, there are currently four that have taken legal action against the musician.
Manson first replied that the claims against him were "horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how … others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth." But in the months following Wood's initial accusation against the musician, more women came forward with their accounts of alleged sexual assaults.
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone published their takeaways from an investigation into the Manson allegations that showed that accounts of the singer portrayed him as a serial aggressor adept at manipulation, a racist fascinated with Nazi history, and a captor who imprisoned women in what he reportedly called his "Bad Girls' Room." You can read more from that report here.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Gregory Keosian has set a trial date for the Jane Doe case for Oct. 3, 2023, revealing it would take about five days to try to the case. The case was initially dismissed by the judge in September citing the statute of limitations, but the Jane Doe was able to submit an amended complaint citing that she "repressed the memories" until February 2021.
For a closer look at the timeline of the allegations and cases against Manson, check the gallery below.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, resources are available to help. Please visit RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) online or dial 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).