Ashley Morgan Smithline, who accused Marilyn Manson of sexual assault, has withdrawn her allegations. She now claims Evan Rachel Wood “manipulated” her to frame the singer.
Smithline and Manson dated for two years. The model accused him of abusing her on multiple occasions. Her statement came after Wood, who was also involved with Manson, made similar allegations. More than 10 other women then spoke up, describing their alleged experiences with Manson.
Smithline has now said through her attorney that the abuse never took place. She “succumbed to pressure from Evan Rachel Wood and her partners” to “accuse Manson of rape and assault, which was not true.”
In the statement, the model recalled meeting Wood and other women who have accused Manson, including actress Esme Bianco and the singer’s former assistant, Ashley Walters. There she was asked if she had experienced the same abuse as the others. When she said no, the women told her she probably didn’t remember.
Wood’s representatives deny Smithline’s statements. A statement said: “Evan has never pressured or manipulated Ashley. It was Ashley who first confronted Evan about the abuse she had endured. It is unfortunate that the harassment and threats Ashley received after filing her federal lawsuit appeared to pressure her to change her testimony.”
Marilyn Manson has been musically active since the 1990s. PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY was released in 1994 as the debut album of his band, which shares his name. She most recently released WE ARE CHAOS in 2020. In February 2021, Wood first made allegations against him. He is said to have forced women, some of them underage, to have sex for years. His former labels are also under criticism – they knew about his actions and tolerated them. The musician denies the allegations.
<!–
–>
<!–
–>