A few days ago, Ashley Smithline (one of the women who accused Marilyn Manson of sexual assault) put out a statement saying she was “manipulated” by Evan Rachel Wood to “spread publicly false accusations of abuse” about the shock-rocker. In her statement, she said she felt pressured to make accusations about Brian Warner (Manson’s legal name).
However, as reported by Rolling Stone, per a new legal declaration, Wood has provided Instagram comments from 2019, as well as reportedly text messages, DMs, and voicemails from throughout the last three years – all from Smithline – which Wood says proves Smithline lied in her recent statement. This new statement was filed this past Monday.
Wood denies ever manipulating Smithline, and provided screenshots of Instagram comments from Smithline dating back to 2019, as well as messages between Smithline and Wood where Smithline is shown to stand by her accusations against Manson. Per a 2022 voicemail that Smithline left for a friend, the model said that she believed Manson’s attorney wanted Smithline to “turn on the other girls and say it was all a ruse.”
Also in Wood’s recent filing, she notes a comment made by Smithline back in March 2019 where the model “referenced information about my private experiences with Warner” when Manson allegedly abused Wood while “making her watch a particular scene from Rules of Attraction.”
Per a comment Smithline wrote back in 2019, in regard to a social media post Wood wrote about being a victim of domestic abuse:
“When he had me captive in the stupid ballet studio, I cringed hearing him brag about replaying that scene from rules of attraction to you. I thought no one would ever talk about this.”
Among Smithline’s recent claims pertaining to Wood, she said that Wood told her “that just because I could not remember did not necessarily mean that it did not happen.”
After an interview Smithline took part in with People was published – pertaining to her alleged abuse claims against Manson – the model reportedly sent Wood an Instagram DM that reads as follows: “I can’t breathe. I have no reason to make this up.”
In response to this, Wood said to Smithline: “Don’t let anybody get to you. Just sit in your truth.”
Per screenshots involving messages from Smithline sent to Wood, Smithline expressed that she was being harassed by Marilyn Manson fans. Per Smithline: “[I]t take a special kind of person to threaten rape and abuse victims with rape and abuse. It’s been relentless.”
Per this recent filing from Wood: “The real pressure Smithline faced was not to make allegations against Plaintiff—it was to retract them. Smithline’s declaration is therefore wholly unreliable.”
Provided along with the filing as evidence are two voicemails Smithline left for a friend, dated back to June 2022. Per those voicemails, Smithline claims that Howard King, Manson’s attorney, had reached out to her to talk “one on one,” and she believed that he wanted her to retract her claims about Manson.
Per Smithline (via a voicemail from her):
“Don’t repeat this to anyone. I swear to God, don’t say this to anyone … but I did get a private message on my cellular telephone from Marilyn Manson’s lawyer saying, `I was wondering if we could just talk.’ The only reason he’d be calling me… is that he thinks I’m the weak link and he might want to settle with me to turn on the other girls and say that it was all a ruse.”
Another screenshot provided involves an alleged text from King asking if Smithline would like to talk to Manson. Per King (via the screenshot of this alleged text): “He would like to talk. Closure is important to Brian and he thinks you can help each other.”
Upon Rolling Stone reaching out to Smithline for a statement regarding Wood’s new filing, the model says:
“Evan’s full of shit. That’s my comment.” She then went on to add, “She’s saying anything she can to discredit me.”
King, nor Wood’s attorney Michael Kump, immediately replied in time to provide a statement regarding this new update.
Per this new filing from Wood, her attorneys question why Smithline wasn’t deposed in the case by Manson’s legal team. Per the filing:
“The reason why is obvious/ Plaintiff understood that if Defendants had the opportunity to question Smithline, the actual truth would come out: Defendants never pressured or manipulated Smithline.”
Per a past interview Smithline took part in with Rolling Stone, the model accused Manson of “Brainwashing 101” and said that he took advantage of her vulnerability.
More on this story as it develops.
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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