Marilyn Manson: D.A. Issues Rare Update, Is ‘Hopeful’ to Receive Sheriff’s File Soon
More than a year and a half since the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that it had launched an investigation into Marilyn Manson over allegations of sexual abuse, the L.A. District Attorney says it hasn’t received a filing yet. In an unusual move, George Gascón, the district attorney for L.A. County, posted an Instagram reel addressing the investigation into the musician, whose real name is Brian Warner.
“The Brian Warner matter is still under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and has not yet been submitted to our office,” Gascón said. “Please be assured that we are requesting regular updates on the status of the investigation. The District Attorney is committed to investing in trauma-informed care for all victims of sexual assault, abuse, and intimate partner violence. We understand how difficult it may be to come forward as a victim, especially when the case involves this level of notoriety, and are dedicated to treating all victims with the highest levels of care and respect.
“Once we have received the case,” he continued, “it will be carefully evaluated by an experienced prosecutor to determine if it is appropriate to file charges at this time. We are hopeful that the LASD will present the case to us sometime this month.”
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The LASD did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment on Gascón’s statement.
In Feb. 2021, the same month that Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood claimed Warner sexually abused her, the LASD told ABC News that its Special Victims Unit was looking into abuse allegations against Warner that occurred between 2009 and 2011. Since Wood came forward, more than a dozen women have also accused Warner of sexual misconduct with allegations ranging from sexual assault to unlawful imprisonment. Several lawsuits are pending; Warner has also filed a countersuit against Wood. (Warner has denied all claims.)
In Nov. 2021, the LASD raided Warner’s home, executing a search warrant for his belongings. “Mr. Warner was not home at the time of the warrant service,” a rep for the LASD told Rolling Stone at the time. “During the search, detectives seized items such as media storage devices.”
In March, Wood’s allegations against Warner were the focus of a two-part HBO docuseries, Phoenix Rising. In interviews, she alleged that Warner threatened her if she were to speak out against him, that he tried to separate her from her family, and that he “essentially raped” her on camera during a music video shoot. “The #MeToo movement did give me a lot of hope,” Wood said in an interview on The View about Phoenix Rising. “And sexual assault has had its day, and we are speaking about things like grooming and gaslighting. These words were not on our lips just a few years ago. Now I truly believe domestic violence has had its day.”
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