Historically, the vaguely-defined “shock rock” subgenre has been populated by artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper, who engage in provocative antics on stage, but are fundamentally decent people.
Marilyn Manson does not fall into that category.
Manson has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by numerous women, and now he’s begun the long, costly process of buying his way out of trouble.
Some of the most shocking allegations came from Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, who dated Manson in 2011.
In April of 2021, Bianco became the first of Manson’s accusers to file a civil suit for sexual assault.
According to a new report from People magazine, Manson and Bianco have now settled the case out of court for an undisclosed sum.
“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,” reads a statement from the actress’ legal team.
“Ms. Bianco has agreed to resolve her claims against Brian Warner and Marilyn Manson Records, Inc.”
Bianco previously leveled allegations of physical and psychological abuse against Manson — whose real name is Brian Warner — and paved the way for several other women to make similar claims.
“On one occasion, Mr. Warner chased [Bianco] around the apartment with an ax, smashing holes in the walls,” her attorneys said in a press release.
“On another occasion, Mr. Warner cut Ms. Bianco with a Nazi knife during sex, without her consent, and photographed the cuts on her body,”
“For far too long my abuser has been left unchecked, enabled by money, fame and an industry that turned a blind eye,” Bianco wrote in a statement to People.
“Despite the numerous brave women who have spoken out against Marilyn Manson, countless survivors remain silenced, and some of their voices will never be heard,” she continued.
“My hope is that by raising mine I will help to stop Brian Warner from shattering any more lives and empower other victims to seek their own small measure of justice.”
“To be clear, this suit was only filed after my client refused to be shaken down by Ms. Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their outrageous financial demands based on conduct that simply never occurred,” Manson’s attorneys wrote at the time.
“We will vigorously contest these allegations in court and are confident that we will prevail.”
Following Bianco’s claims, several other women accused Manson of abuse, including his former fiancee, actress Evan Rachel Wood.
Manson has since claimed that his accusers have launched a conspiracy against him with the goal of destroying his career.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.