Marilyn Manson will not be charged over sex assault claims, prosecutors say

Marilyn Manson will not be charged following a lengthy investigation into sexual assault and domestic violence allegations, prosecutors have said.

Los Angeles county district attorney Nathan Hochman said some of the alleged incidents had happened too long ago, while there was not sufficient evidence to charge the 56-year-old, whose legal name is Brian Warner, over some of the other claims.

Mr Hochman said: “We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.

“We recognise and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation.”

LA county sheriff’s detectives announced in early 2021 that they were investigating Manson for incidents between 2009 and 2011 in West Hollywood, where he lived at the time.

The case was initially turned over to prosecutors in September 2021. However, the probe continued after the county district attorney’s office requested more evidence.

Almost four years after the investigation began, officials said in October that new leads were being pursued, adding to an “already extensive” file.

The identities of the women who spoke to authorities were not revealed, but Game Of Thrones actress Esme Bianco, who sued Manson in a case that has since been settled, said she was part of the criminal investigation.

In an Instagram post, she said she was “deeply disappointed” by the decision not to charge Manson, but was “sadly not surprised”.

She had previously criticised how long the investigation was taking.

In 2021, Manson’s former fiancée Westworld actor Evan Rachel Wood accused him of abuse in an Instagram post.

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Wood and Manson’s relationship became public in 2007, when he was 38 and she was 19, and they were briefly engaged three years later before breaking up.

Manson sued Wood over her claims but a judge threw out large sections of the suit and in November the musician dropped the case.