Marilyn Manson Settles Rape Lawsuit Ahead of Trial

Marilyn Manson has settled a rape lawsuit against him, ahead of the case going to trial. Rolling Stone reports that the anonymous Jane Doe who filed the lawsuit came to a settlement agreement with Manson, real name Brian Warner. The case had previously been dismissed, was later allowed to proceed after it was amended to detail specific allegations against the shock rocker.

In a statement on the settlement agreement, the anonymous filer said, "I was fully prepared for trial and never in a million years thought I would ever settle, but over the past two-and-a-half years I have silently endured threats, bullying, harassment and various forms of intimidation that have intensified over the past few weeks. Marilyn Manson attended my deposition, and I was forced to answer seven hours of aggressive questioning with him staring at me from across the table. I've been told that this almost never happens, as it's cruel, and that a main reason for it would be to intimidate and inflict emotional distress on a victim."

The Jane Doe continued, "I never cared about money and only ever wanted justice, but if we had gone to trial, I could have lost my right to anonymity and been victim-blamed on a large and public scale. Most importantly I could have risked losing the freedom to tell my story, and that is worth more than anything in the world." She then added, "If any other victims are reading this. please know that you are loved and supported even if it doesn't feel that way, and that in spite of everything I've been through I don't for one second regret speaking up."

Manson's attorney, Howard King, commented as well, saying, "Brian is pleased that, just as previous lawsuits were abandoned without payment or settled for pennies on the dollar, this plaintiff has now agreed to drop her suit in exchange for an insurance payment representing a fraction of her demands and far less than the cost to Brian of proceeding to trial."

The new lawsuit settlement comes after Manson recently came to a conclusion on another court case. Earlier this month, the singer was officially sentenced in a 2019 assault case. According to the AP, Manson was given a fine and sentenced to 20 hours of community service, by a New Hampshire court. The AP reported that Manson had been hoping to appear in court via video, over the misdemeanor charge, but the judge required him to be present in person. 

The assault charges against Manson stem from a 2019 incident, in which Manson was accused of "[shooting] his snot" onto a camerawoman who was filming his concert. In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Manson pleaded no contest to the nose-blowing charge, while the prosecutors agreed to dismiss a second charge, in which Manson allegedly spit on the videographer. Manson has downplayed the situation in the past, but eyewitnesses have provided a different account.