LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Marilyn Manson accuser Ashley Morgan Smithline has recanted her sexual abuse allegations against the shock rocker.
Smithline filed in a Los Angeles Superior Court filing that she was “manipulated” by actress and Manson’s ex-fiancee Evan Rachel Wood and others to accuse Manson of sexual and physical abuse. The Hollywood Reporter obtained the declaration, filed on February 19 and it reads,
“I succumbed to pressure from Evan Rachel Wood and her associates to make accusations of rape and assault against Manson that were not true.”
The statement is actually part of a lawsuit from Manson against Wood and Illma Gore and comes a month after a different lawsuit against Manson from Smithline was dismissed. Smithline at the time told the court that she had a “brief, consensual sexual relationship with Brian Warner back in 2010.
But ten years later, Smithline said she was contacted by a group of women alleging sexual abuse from Manson after being in a relationship with him and this included “many conversations” with Wood.
“I never intended to pursue criminal charges against Mr. Warner and have no intention now of ever pursuing criminal charges, as Mr. Warner did not ever assault or abuse me,” Smithline writes. “Looking back, I feel I was manipulated by Ms. Wood, Ms. Gore, Ms. Bianco and Mr. Ellwanger to spread publicly false accusations of abuse against Mr. Warner.”
Gore and Bianco have been involved in lawsuits against the singer that allege sexual abuse. Manson, who has denied the accusations against him, saw the lawsuit from Smithline dismissed after she missed a filing deadline and the lawsuit with Bianco reached an out of court settlement in January of this year. The terms of the settlement are unknown.
“Ms. Bianco has agreed to resolve her claims against Brian Warner and Marilyn Manson Records, Inc. in order to move on with her life and career,” her lawyer, Jay Ellwanger, told Rolling Stone at the time.
A spokesperson for Wood denied putting pressure on Smithline. “Evan never pressured or manipulated Ashley. It was Ashley who first contacted Evan about the abuse she suffered. It’s unfortunate that the harassment and threats Ashley received after filing her federal lawsuit appear to have pressured her to change her testimony,” a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter said.
