Photo Credit: Sven Mandel / CC by 4.0
Marilyn Manson has settled a sexual assault lawsuit filed by actress Esme Bianco.
Actress Esme Bianco’s sexual assault lawsuit against Marilyn Manson has been settled, according to reports. Bianco filed the lawsuit against Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, and his label Marilyn Manson Records, Inc., in 2021. The terms of the settlement are unknown.
“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,” says Bianco’s lawyer, Jay Ellwanger.
Bianco’s 2021 lawsuit accused Manson of rape, sexual battery, and human trafficking. In a 2011 incident, she alleged that Manson “used drugs, force, and threats of force to coerce sexual acts” from her and described abuse, including non-consensual spanking, biting, cutting, and whipping.
The British actress also alleged in her lawsuit that in the process of her acquiring a United States visa, Manson “inserted himself” into the process and promised her work in a music video and film that never materialized. Additionally, Bianco accused the musician of forcing her to work for free in violation of California’s trafficking laws and locking her in a bedroom to prevent her escape.
While Bianco was the first woman to file a lawsuit against Manson, she is far from the first to accuse him of sexual abuse. Evan Rachel Wood, Manson’s former fiancee, began a cascade of further accusations after she came forward with a list of disturbing abuses the singer committed during their relationship. Wood’s experiences were detailed in the documentary Phoenix Rising, for which Manson filed a defamation lawsuit against her.
As a result of the allegations, Loma Vista Recordings dropped Manson from the label in 2021 after stating they would no longer promote his latest album. Other women who have come forward with sexual assault allegations against Manson include Ellie Rowsell, Phoebe Bridgers, Manson’s former personal assistant Ashley Walters, his former girlfriend Ashley Morgan Smithline, and several former partners who wished to remain anonymous.