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Evan Rachel Wood is speaking out after Los Angeles’ district attorney, Nathan Hochman, announced that her ex, Marilyn Manson, won’t be charged with domestic violence and sexual assault.
Wood and several other women had accused Manson (real name: Brian Warner) in 2021 of abusing them. On Friday, January 24, Hochman said that he was closing a four-year investigation into the claims against Manson.
“We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt,” Hochman stated in his announcement. “We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation.”
Reacting to Friday’s news, Wood, 37, took to her private Instagram account with a statement of her own.
“My lawyer and I were advised by the Deputy District Attorneys and the Sheriff deputies who investigated the case that there was compelling evidence to support our claims, but that the statute of limitations prevents many of those crimes from being prosecuted,” Wood wrote in a post, per People.
“We always knew that the statute of limitations would be a barrier, which is why we created the Phoenix Act so that other victims wouldn’t have to experience this outcome,” she continued, referencing the law that she helped pass in California in 2019. It extends the statute of limitations for domestic violence cases from three to five years, and requires police to undergo more training on domestic abuse.
“Unfortunately, the Phoenix Act cannot help in cases which occurred before it was passed, but I hope this shines a light on why it’s so important to advocate for better laws,” Wood said in conclusion. “Evidence of violent crimes should not have an expiration date. I am grateful for the work law enforcement has done, and I am endlessly proud of all the survivors who risked everything to protect others by speaking the truth.”
Wood and Manson, 56, began dating in 2007 and got engaged in January 2010. The engagement was called off seven months later.
“He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years,” Wood alleged via Instagram in February 2021. “I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission.”
The actress also claimed in that post that she’d decided to speak out because she was “done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail,” adding, “I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
Wood’s revelation came after she alleged to Rolling Stone in November 2016 that she had been raped twice in the past, once by a “significant other” and later by “the owner of a bar.”
Manson sued Wood for defamation and emotional distress in March 2022, a few weeks prior to the release of HBO’s Phoenix Rising documentary miniseries which included Wood’s allegations of rape and sexual abuse against Manson during their three-year relationship.
Us Weekly confirmed in November 2024 that Manson had abandoned his lawsuit and agreed to pay approximately $327,000 to cover attorney fees accumulated by Wood.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
