Evan Rachel Wood denies she 'manipulated' Marilyn Manson rape accuser Ashley Smithline into false claims
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress Evan Rachel Wood has denied accusations that she pressured or manipulated model Ashley Morgan Smithline into making false rape allegations against their mutual ex, musician Marilyn Manson. Wood stated in a court filing this week that Smithline first contacted her on March 11, 2019, commenting on an Instagram post in which Wood shared her experience of sexual abuse. Wood went on to mention that this contact occurred more than a year before Smithline's allegation that Wood had reached out to her to meet with other fellow accusers.
Last week, Ashley Morgan Smithline, who had previously filed a lawsuit publicly accusing Manson of abuse, filed a declaration of support for the entertainer in his defamation lawsuit against Wood in Los Angeles County Superior Court. In the statement, Smithline claimed that she only publicly accused Manson of sexual abuse and assault because she was pressured by Wood.
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What do the social media conversations reveal?
In a 25-page filing, Evan Rachel Wood shared Ashley Morgan Smithline's allegations against Marilyn Manson, including claims that he held her captive in a ballet studio. Wood provided a screenshot of the Instagram post's public comments as evidence in the filing. According to the account, which Wood said belonged to Smithline, Wood's post about being a domestic violence survivor "hit her hard." The account, however, appeared to be unidentifiable because the messages appeared to come only from "Instagram User."
Wood also shared screenshots of messages she said came from Smithline in May 2021 in which Smithline turned to Wood and said, "I can't breathe. I have no reason to make this up." Wood responded by encouraging Smithline to stay true to her story and not be swayed by the opinions of others. Also included are voicemails from Smithline in which she talks about receiving a call from Manson's attorney, Howard King, who later filed an affidavit recanting her allegations.
What are Ashley Morgan Smithline's accusations against Marilyn Manson?
In May 2021, Smithline publicly accused Manson of physical, sexual and psychological abuse in an interview with People magazine, and filed a federal lawsuit against Manson that same year, alleging sexual assault, human trafficking and wrongful imprisonment. In January, however, her lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice after her attorney withdrew and she failed to respond to the court's request to rule on new representation.
Wood's attorneys have now alleged that Manson's attorneys contacted Smithline to turn her against Wood and other accusers. The documents also question Smithline's timeline of events and allege that her claims were primarily pressured by Manson's fans and attorneys to make her recant. The documents state, "The real pressure Smithline faced was not to make allegations against [Manson]—it was to retract them."