Evan Rachel Wood is clapping back at allegations she “manipulated” Ashley Morgan Smithline into accusing their mutual ex-boyfriend Marilyn Mason of sexual assault, claims the latter has since formally taken back.
As we’ve been following, the Westworld actress first accused the rock star as her alleged abuser in February 2021. Shortly after, several others came forward with allegations of rape, assault, battery, grooming, and even human trafficking. This list included the musician’s former assistant Ashley Walters, Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, and an unnamed accuser.
Ashley Morgan Smithline was among those to file a lawsuit, claiming the singer had psychologically, physically, and sexually abused her during their relationship. Marilyn, born Brian Warner, vehemently denied the allegations. But in a shocking turn of events, last week, Ashley filed a new document in Los Angeles Superior Court saying her previous testimony included “false” statements. Why? She blamed it all on Evan, writing:
“I succumbed to pressure from Evan Rachel Wood and her associates to make accusations of rape and assault against that were not true.”
Well, now it’s Evan’s turn to talk. The 35-year-old also took to court documents on Monday to share her side of the story. In the declaration filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court, which was obtained by Page Six on Tuesday, the Frozen II alum insisted:
“I never pressured or manipulated Ashley Morgan Smithline to make any accusations against .”
She also clarified:
“And I certainly never pressured or manipulated her to make accusations that were not true.”
She went on to refute several other claims Ashley made in her filing, such as the fact that people in Wood’s inner circle allegedly reached out to Ashely to coerce her into speaking out against Marilyn. According to Evan, it was Ashley who contacted her first via Instagram in March 2019 — and she has the receipts to prove it!
The Thirteen star provided screenshots of the pair’s alleged social media interactions in her filing. Among them was an Instagram comment left by Smithline that included private details that connected to the sexual assault Evan allegedly experienced at the hands of the Sweet Dreams crooner. It read:
“when he had me captive in the stupid ballet studio, i cringed hearing him brag about replaying that scene from rules of attraction to you… i thought no one would ever talk about this…”
According to Evan, the 54-year-old rock star allegedly abused her while watching Rules of Attraction, information that was not public at the time. So the fact Ashley made a point to mention it was telling to her.
During other IG exchanges, per Evan’s exhibit, Ashley expressed a fear of Manson’s “loud” fan base, who went after her for speaking out against the rocker. The filing then seemed to reference some media coverage Ashley’s allegations received, such as her interview with People magazine in May 2021, in which she alleged the performer “whipped her, cut her with a swastika-emblazoned knife and shoved his fist in her mouth during sex.” In the social media messages, Evan consoled the model over the backlash she had received, writing:
“They don’t run stories like this without something to back it up. You are very credible.”
She also encouraged the former accuser to “block” and “ignore” the trolls. Also, Evan claims she only met Ashley once in person and that was to film her HBO documentary Phoenix Rising in October 2020. Ashley is already reacting, too! Speaking to Page Six, she shared:
“Evan’s full of s**t. She calls people narcissistic and sociopaths. Watch her film Pretty Persuasion. Literally a roadmap of this whole thing. Or The Crucible.”
She added:
“This is what happens when horrible girls get bored. She’s destroying people with no conscience just because she can … She’s saying anything she can to discredit me.”
Similarly, Marilyn’s attorney, Howard King, told the outlet:
“It is unsurprising that Evan Rachel Wood is desperately fighting to keep Ashley Smithline’s testimony out of court – because she knows the truth will expose her plot to manipulate the women who trusted her in order to destroy Brian Warner.”
The statement continued:
“Brian Warner never abused anyone. Ashley Smithline has told the truth. It’s sadly predictable that Evan Rachel Wood – someone who has already filed a forged FBI letter under oath in other court proceedings — remains committed to not doing the same.”
They’re referring to claims the actress once impersonated an FBI agent; it’s unclear if Evan ever addressed these rumors. Wow. As a reminder, the Los Angeles District Attorney is investigating the allegations but Manson hasn’t been charged for his alleged crimes. He has filed a defamation and conspiracy lawsuit against Wood and her girlfriend, Illma Gore, in retaliation. Meanwhile, he also faces two court cases, including one from a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted when she was a teen. A lot to process. What are you thoughts on this latest legal filing? Let us know (below)!
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
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