Marilyn Manson is no longer taking legal action against ex Evan Rachel Wood … dropping the suit, as well as a pending appeal related to the case, in the hope of moving on.
Manson’s lawyer Howard King tells TMZ … “After 4 years of fighting a battle where he was able to tell the truth, Brian is pleased to dismiss his still-pending claims and appeal in order to close the door on this chapter of his life.”
We’re told the rock star also agreed to pay almost $327,000 in attorneys’ fees for Wood … which a judge ordered back in February.
According to reports, the actress’ attorneys — including Michael Kump, Shawn Holley and Katherine Kleindienst — paint a very different picture regarding Manson’s decision to drop the suit.
Per Wood’s legal team, MM tried to previously settle the lawsuit in the spring, and even offered to pay a portion of his ex’s fees on the condition the settlement would be confidential. Wood’s lawyers say she rejected the offer, as she didn’t want to agree to this term or others.
Her rep shared with Rolling Stone … “Marilyn Manson — whose real name is Brian Warner — filed a lawsuit against Ms. Wood as a publicity stunt to try to undermine the credibility of his many accusers and revive his faltering career. But his attempt to silence and intimidate Ms. Wood failed. As the trial court correctly found, Warner’s claims were meritless. Warner’s decision to finally abandon his lawsuit and pay Ms. Wood her full fee award of almost $327,000 only confirms as much.”
As TMZ previously reported, Manson sued Wood back in March 2022 ahead of the release of her documentary, “Phoenix Rising” … in which she again accused her former fiancé of sexual assault and abuse. She previously made similar allegations in a 2021 Instagram post.
Following the release of “Phoenix Rising,” over a dozen women came forward and accused Manson of abuse … with several filing lawsuits against the rocker. Manson has denied all the allegations made against him.
In his lawsuit, Manson accused Wood, along with Illma Gore, of manufacturing sexual assault accusations against him … including impersonating an FBI agent, as a way to enlist others to speak out against him.
We’ve reached out to ERW’s rep for comment … so far, no word back.