The musician Marilyn Manson and actor Esmé Bianco have reached an agreement to settle a lawsuit that Bianco filed against him nearly two years ago, alleging rape and sexual battery.
In April 2021, Bianco, who starred in the television series Game of Thrones, sued Manson following multiple accusations by other women that the musician had abused them.
Both teams confirmed the out-of-court settlement to Rolling Stone magazine. Bianco’s lawyer Jay Ellwanger said: “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.” The legal team for Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, told the outlet: “Ms Bianco has agreed to resolve her claims against Brian Warner and Marilyn Manson Records Inc.”
Neither team disclosed the details of the settlement.
The lawsuit had accused Manson of making “fraudulent offers of movie and music video roles to convince Ms Bianco to travel to Los Angeles, whereupon Mr Warner then made threats of force and performed violent sexual acts on Ms. Bianco to which she did not consent”.
It accused Manson of raping and sexually battering Bianco, stating: “Mr Warner raped Ms Bianco in or around May 2011,” and alleged Manson had sexually battered Bianco, specifically by “spanking, biting, cutting, and whipping Ms Bianco’s buttocks, breasts, and genitals for Mr Warner’s sexual gratification – all without the consent of plaintiff.”
The lawsuit also accused Manson of encouraging Bianco to move from London to Los Angeles to participate in an unreleased music video and a movie that was never made.
“By inserting himself in Ms. Bianco’s visa process, Mr Warner was able to control Ms Bianco by threatening to withdraw support if she displeased him,” the lawsuit said, adding that Manson had violated California’s human trafficking laws by allegedly locking Bianco in a bedroom at one point and forcing her to cook and clean for free.
Manson’s legal team denied the accusations, calling them “provably false”, and adding: “To be clear, this suit was only filed after my client refused to be shaken down by Ms Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their outrageous financial demands based on conduct that simply never occurred. We will vigorously contest these allegations in court and are confident that we will prevail.”
In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit the Men’s Advice Line or Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org.
