Marilyn Manson Accuser Ashley Morgan Smithline Says She Was ‘Manipulated’ Into Making False Claims

In a defamation case against actress Evan Rachel Wood and artist Illma Gore, Marilyn Manson‘s lawyers have filed a statement from accuser Ashley Morgan Smithline that recants her previous sexual abuse allegations against the rock musician as evidence.

The model claimed she was “manipulated” into accusing Manson of mental, physical and sexual abuse.

Smithline said Wood, Gore and others pressured her into making the accusations, which she now claims are “false.”

Although various media outlets verified her earlier story with multiple sources, Smithline said she was “pressured” by her attorney Jay Ellwanger to speak out.

In the statement, Smithline said she was “gaslit” by Wood, Ashely Walters, Manson’s former assistant who sued him for sexual assault, Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco and others into believing that Manson had abused her.

A spokesperson for Wood refuted the claims, saying, “Evan never pressured or manipulated Ashley. It was Ashley who first contacted Evan about the abuse she had suffered. It’s unfortunate that the harassment and threats Ashley received after filing her federal lawsuit appear to have pressured her to change her testimony.”

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Smithline now says she had a “consensual sexual relationship” with Manson and was convinced to join a meeting for women who suffered abuse by the musician.

At the meeting, Smithline said that Wood asked her if she was physically, mentally or sexually abused. She said no and remembers Wood saying that even if she couldn’t recall prior incidents, they may have still happened.

In her statement, she wrote that Wood and others suggested that she may be “repressing” her memories, and she eventually began to believe that she had suffered the same abuse as them.

Smithline was the fourth woman to make formal allegations against Manson. At least 15 other women have accused him of sexual assault.