Author: Michael Pementel
A lawsuit filed against shock-rocker Marilyn Manson regarding allegations of sexual harassment and assault has been dismissed by a judge; this lawsuit was filed by Ashley Walters, an ex-personal assistant who used to work for Manson.
The first mentioning of this lawsuit was reported back in 2021, with Walters suing Manson for charges including sexual assault, battery, and harassment.
As reported by The Cut (back in May of 2021), Waters’ complaint, which was filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, includes accounts of violent outbursts from Manson, not to mention forcing Walters to work up to 48 hours straight and telling his friends that they could grope and kiss her as they wished. Walters details several stories in which Manson behaved inappropriately, including pinning her down and trying to kiss her, placing her hand in his underwear, and urging her to take photos wearing Nazi paraphernalia so he could later use them to smear her career.
“It made me feel like I was his property,” she told the Cut. “It just made me feel like a piece of meat.”
However, as reported by CBS Los Angeles yesterday, a judge has dismissed this lawsuit on grounds of waiting too long to file the suit.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Stern heard arguments from Walters’ case, but came to the same conclusion he had made back in February, when he found that the plaintiff (Walters) had not presented facts to overcome the statue of limitations; at that time, he did give her a chance to file an amended compliant.
Stern shared that, “The plaintiff has pleaded too few facts and too late to keep this case in court.”
However, Walters’ attorney, Tanya Sukhija-Cohen, told Stern that her client had initially repressed memories of Manson’s alleged abuse due to post-traumatic-stress-disorder; upon recovering her memories, Walters did reach out to an attorney and law enforcement.
Along with suing Marilyn Manson for sexual assault, battery, and harassment, Walters ended up filing an amended lawsuit stating how he reportedly threatened “retaliatory legal action” against her if she were to take part in the Evan Rachel Woods documentary Phoenix Rising (which explores the actresses’ relationship with Manson).
The law firms representing Walters shared the following statement regarding Stern’s ruling:
“We are deeply disappointed in the court’s decision today. If allowed to stand, this decision would drastically limit the ability of victims of abuse to obtain justice through the legal system. We clearly pleaded the facts of this case in the complaint detailing the trauma and abuse Ashley endured, which prevented her from coming forward sooner. While the court based its decision on the timeliness of Ashley’s claims and not the merits, we disagree with the court’s interpretation of the law as it applies to equitable estoppel and the delayed filing of abuse claims. We remain confident that a full review of the facts in this case will result in a successful appeal, which we plan on filing.”
Walters released her own statement as well:
“Nobody gets to choose exactly how they process abuse or threats. I am disheartened in the court’s decision today not just for my case, but for the message it sends to other survivors out there trying to balance how they process abuse with arbitrary court deadlines. We will not let this hurdle stop us from shining a light on what happened to me and others.”
Ashley Walters is one of several women who have stepped forward and accused Marilyn Manson of sexual abuse.
More on this story as it unfolds. If you or someone you care about is suffering abuse at the hands of their partner, please contact RAINN or call 800.656.HOPE (4673). Remember: you are not alone.
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