Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco sues Marilyn Manson alleging sexual assault and battery. The actress opened up early this year about the difficult times she spent with singer Marilyn Mason, and now she’s taken legal action.
Esme Bianco Headsot by Theo and Juliet is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
In February, Westworld actress Evan Rachel Wood took it to social media and publicly accused Mr Manson of domestic abuse. Following her story, more than a dozen other women have since come forward with similar allegations.
Evan Rachel Wood had said: “The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson. He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
To which Marilyn Manson replied on Instagram: “Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners.”
Esmé Bianco says she met Manson in 2005. The lawsuit says that in February 2009, he invited her to Los Angeles to film a music video. But when she arrived she says she found out she was expected to stay at his home. Also, there was no film crew. The plaintiff alleges she was deprived of food and sleep and given drugs and alcohol during her four-day stay.
In the lawsuit, she added: “Perhaps most horrifyingly. Mr Warner locked Ms Bianco in the bedroom, tied her to a prayer kneeler, and beat her with a whip that Mr Warner said was utilized by the Nazis. He also electrocuted her.”
The two began a consensual sexual relationship in May 2009 and maintained a long-distance relationship until 2011. In her complaint, Esmé claims Marilyn Manson coerced her into sexual intercourse that was often violent and degrading, sometimes even when she was unconscious or otherwise unable to consent.
The suit also accuses Tony Ciulla, who managed Marilyn Manson for more than 25 years before dropping him this February, of “supporting [Mr Manson’s] violent tendencies” and allegedly violating US human trafficking laws.
— Esmé Bianco (@esmebianco) April 30, 2021
Esmé said in a statement: “For far too long my abuser has been left unchecked, enabled by money, fame and an industry that turned a blind eye. Despite the numerous brave women who have spoken out against Marilyn Manson, countless survivors remain silenced, and some of their voices will never be heard. My hope is that by raising mine I will help to stop Brian Warner from shattering any more lives and empower other victims to seek their own small measure of justice.”
