By PTI
LOS ANGELES: Heavy metal-rock singer Marilyn Manson has denied allegations of abuse levelled by his former fiance and actor Evan Rachel Wood, and said he has always had “entirely consensual” relationships with “like-minded partners”.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Wood, 33, revealed that Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, was the person she has referred to in the past when she talked about being in an abusive relationship with an unnamed ex.
Responding to the “Westworld” star’s claims, the 52-year-old singer said these accusations are “horrible distortions of reality”.
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“Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality.
“My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how – and why – others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth,” Manson wrote in a statement on Instagram.
Wood has claimed that Manson started “grooming” her when she was a teenager and abused her for years.
The former couple went public with their relationship in 2007 when she was 19 and he was 38.
The duo got engaged in 2010, but broke up later that year.
“I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. 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 had said.
In response to the actor’s social media post, four other women also came forward with similar abuse allegations against Manson.
Amid the allegations, Manson was dropped from his record label, Loma Vista Recordings.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, the label said they will no longer promote Manson’s recent album or work with him on future projects.
Additionally, a segment of the Shudder series “Creepshow” that was set to star Manson in the upcoming season will be replaced and not air, a spokesperson for AMC Networks confirmed on Monday.
Starz’s “American Gods”, in which Manson had a short recurring role, will also not air one remaining upcoming episode including the singer until his character has been edited out.
“Due to the allegations made against Marilyn Manson, we have decided to remove his performance from the remaining episode he is in, scheduled to air later this season. Starz stands unequivocally with all victims and survivors of abuse,” a Starz spokesperson said in a statement.
Wood first spoke about being a survivor of rape and domestic violence in a 2016 Rolling Stone interview, but did not name anyone.
In 2018, she testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee as part of an effort to get the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights passed in all 50 states.
The following year, she testified before California legislators on behalf of the Phoenix Act, legislation that altered the statute of limitations for crimes involving domestic violence from three to five years.
The same year, she once again opened up about the abuse in a Twitter post, using the #IAmNotOk hashtag in an attempt to raise awareness about domestic violence.
