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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Shaad D'Souza

Marilyn Manson sexual assault lawsuit dismissed without prejudice

Marilyn Manson, AKA Brian Warner.
Marilyn Manson, AKA Brian Warner. Photograph: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

A 2021 lawsuit from model Ashley Morgan Smithline accusing Marilyn Manson of sexual assault, sexual battery, unlawful imprisonment and more has been dismissed by a California court. As the Los Angeles Times and Pitchfork report, the decision was made after Smithline failed to find new representation when her legal counsel withdrew from the case in October. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning Smithline can refile the case if she finds new representation or chooses to represent herself.

The allegations in Smithline’s lawsuit aren’t the only such accusations Manson, real name Brian Warner, has faced in recent years. The 54-year-old rock musician is currently the subject of a lawsuit from actress Esmé Bianco that alleges he sexually assaulted her; in May, a lawsuit from Manson’s former assistant Ashley Walters accusing him of sexual assault and harassment was dismissed, due to the claims falling outside California’s statute of limitations. In 2021, one of Manson’s ex-girlfriends sued Manson, alleging he had raped her and tried to kill her; the lawsuit was dismissed for falling outside the statute of limitations but was refiled shortly after.

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