Marilyn Manson sexual assault case dismissed

Photo Credit: Marilyn Manson by WonGon (Instagram)

Marilyn Manson scored a win after a Los Angeles judge dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit filed by his former assistant, ending a case that was set for trial next month.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Judge Steve Cochran ruled that Marilyn Manson’s former assistant, Ashley Walters, had waited too long to file a complaint against the musician, whom she accused of sexual assault and battery. Judge Cochran said that Walters’ claims against the musician, whose real name is Brian Warner, fell outside the statute of limitations and allegedly took place about 10 years before the lawsuit was filed.

“We have a situation where the complaint was not filed until about 10 years after the operative events. I’m not able to find that the delayed discovery rule is applicable,” said Judge Cochran during the hearing. “I don’t have the authority to rule that [California’s] delayed discovery doctrine would apply under the circumstances that exist in this case.”

“We’re disappointed,” said Walters’ lawyer, Kate McFarlane. “We think this is the wrong decision. The delayed discovery rule is specifically to address situations where victims of sexual abuse deserve the ability to seek justice when their abuser has used tactics to prevent them from coming forward.”

Meanwhile, Warner’s legal team expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “It’s gratifying, after all these years, that a judge can just look at the facts and see that once again, Brian Warner was wrongfully accused,” said Warner’s lawyer, Howard King. “It’s nice for him to get some justice, though it was at great personal cost. Now he can move on.”

According to Walters’ lawsuit, Warner lured her into employment in 2010 under the pretense of an artistic photography collaboration. She claimed that she subsequently endured physical abuse, including whipping, being hit with plates, being physically restrained, and being forced to touch Warner inappropriately. Walters also alleged that she witnessed Warner throw a prop skull at his former fiancée, Evan Rachel Wood, which is said to have caused visible injury.

Walters’ legal team posited that their client deserved consideration under California’s delayed discovery provisions and compared her situation to those involving childhood sexual abuse. Specifically, they emphasized the power dynamic at play between a young woman in her 20s and her employer, a well-established celebrity in his 40s.

Besides Judge Cochran’s ruling, Walters had also lost a previous challenge on similar grounds, but had appealed that ruling. Warner has reached settlements with others who have accused him of sexual assault, including Evan Rachel Wood, whom Warner then sued before dropping the case altogether.