After a four-year investigation, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said Friday that singer Marilyn Manson would not be charged with sexual assault or domestic violence.
Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, was the subject of an investigation by Los Angeles County officials in 2021 after many women, including his ex-girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood, accused him of abuse.
Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and prosecutors from the sex crimes division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office carried out the investigation.
The district attorney’s office said in a statement that because of the numerous offenses against Manson, investigators were unable to file charges against him.
“We cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt, and we have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement.
Although charges were not brought against Manson, the DA’s office praised the bravery of the women who spoke up and stated that “the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.”
“Despite the decision necessitated by the facts and evidence in this matter, the Los Angeles County District Attorney s Office remains fully committed to seeking justice for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault whenever legally possible,” the statement continued.
Howard King, Manson’s lawyer, expressed his satisfaction with the investigation’s findings in a statement.
In a written statement sent to NBC News, King stated, “We are extremely happy that the District Attorney has reached the conclusion that Brian Warner is innocent after a comprehensive and extraordinarily drawn-out review of all the actual evidence.”
Among the many accusations made against Manson are those of abuse made by Wood in 2021, who said that he had groomed her while she was a youngster. Following Wood’s lawsuit, Manson filed a defamation lawsuit against her in 2022 but was not charged with any crimes.
In 2021, “Game of Thrones” star Esm Bianco filed a lawsuit against Manson, alleging sexual assault. Then, in 2023, Bianco settled her lawsuit against Manson “in order to move on with her life and career,” according to her lawyer.
In 2021, Manson was also charged with sexual assault by a model and sexual exploitation by a former personal assistant.Both cases were ultimately dropped.
Manson had refuted all of the accusations made against him.