Former Marilyn Manson Assistant Wins Appeal in Sexual Assault Case Against Musician

Ashley Walters, one of a group of women who initially joined Evan Rachel Wood in accusing Marilyn Manson of sexual assault and abuse in February 2021, has now won an appeal in court to proceed with her lawsuit against the 54-year-old rock singer whose real name is Brian Warner.

Walters, a former assistant of Manson's, sued the musician in May 2021 for sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, interference with the exercise of civil rights, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

But her case was dismissed by a judge the following year, reportedly because she "failed to plead facts to invoke the delayed discovery rule" after she attempted to use the delayed discovery rule to circumvent the statute of limitations.

READ MORE: Marilyn Manson Lawsuit Over Alleged Spitting Incident Lands Back in Court

Then, on Wednesday (Dec. 13), a tribunal with California's Second Appellate District approved her appeal, reversing the lower court's earlier ruling and sending the case back to the judge for trial.

Indeed, "Walters' allegations of delayed discovery were sufficient to withstand demurrer, and we reverse," the new court ruling explains.

Previously, Manson's defense argued that Walters' allegations were "too memorable and happened too many times for her to have remembered none of it." However, at this stage, the court reportedly wasn't supposed to concern itself with her ability to prove the claims of her case, only that she asserted them appropriately, as Rolling Stone laid out:

[Walters] argued that while the alleged abuse took place during a 'horrific' year of employment that ended in 2011, the typical two-year statute of limitations didn't apply because she had suppressed her memories until 2020. She said the 'delayed discovery' rule, which postpones the starting clock for statutes of limitations in cases where victims bury painful memories, had extended her window to file. She further alleged Warner used threatening behavior to ensure her silence.

In court filings, Walters alleged Warner forced her hand into his underwear, whipped her, threw dishes at her, pushed her into a wall, broke down doors to get to her, charged at her, and forced her to stay awake for 48 hours straight, one time requiring her to stand on a chair for 12 hours.

Marilyn Manson Accusations

The case surrounds multiple other allegations of sexual assault against Manson that have emerged since 2021. Manson has refuted the accusations. "My art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality," he said that year.

"My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners," he added. "Regardless of how and why others are now choosing to misrepresent the past."

In January of this year, a California judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by model Ashley Morgan Smithline after she failed to hire a new attorney to represent herself within a granted window provided by the court. Smithline later recanted her accusations against Manson, claiming that she had been "manipulated" by the singer's ex, Evan Rachel Wood. Wood later denied those claims.

A second case filed by actress Esme Bianco was settled out of court. A new lawsuit emerged in January of 2023 claiming that Manson had inflicted sexual battery and caused intentional emotional distress against minor. The case was filed anonymously under the name "Jane Doe." Then in September of this year, Manson settled another sexual assault lawsuit with a plaintiff also using the anonymous "Jane Doe" moniker.

This year also saw the courts begin to address Manson's defamation lawsuit against Evan Rachel Wood, with a California judge dismissing a good portion of Manson's suit against the actress in May.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available. Please visit RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) online or dial 1-800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).