Los Angeles judge dismisses sexual assault and battery lawsuit filed against Marilyn Manson by former assistant

The sexual assault and battery lawsuit filed against Marilyn Manson – real name Brian Warner – by his former assistant, Ashley Walters, has been dismissed by a judge in Los Angeles. The trial, which had been scheduled to begin in the new year, has been vacated.

"We have a situation where the complaint was not filed until about 10 years after the operative events," said Los Angeles County Judge Steve Cochran. "I’m not able to find that the delayed discovery rule is applicable. I don’t have the authority to rule that the delayed discovery doctrine would apply under the circumstances that exist in this case."

The "delayed discovery rule" is a legal principle that pauses the clock on the usual 10-year statute of limitations (the deadline to file a lawsuit) when a plaintiff does not immediately discover or reasonably could not have discovered an injury or harm caused by someone else's negligence or wrongdoing.

“We’re disappointed," Walters’ lawyer, Kate McFarlane, tells Rolling Stone. "We think this is the wrong decision. The delayed discovery rule is specifically to address situations where victims of sexual abuse deserve the ability to seek justice when their abuser has used tactics to prevent them from coming forward.

"This is something we see time and time again, and it seems the law hasn’t caught up to the science and what’s right for victims. But I don’t believe this is the end of the road."

Manson’s lawyer, Howard King, also released a statement, saying, "It’s gratifying, after all these years, that a judge can just look at the facts and see that once again, Brian Warner was wrongfully accused. It’s nice for him to get some justice, though it was at great personal cost. Now he can move on."

Walters first sued Manson in 2021, alleging that "horrific" abuse took place while she worked as the musician’s personal assistant from 2010 to 2011. The suit was dismissed in May 2022, but revived in December 2024 following an appeal.

Manson has also been accused of rape and torture by his ex-fiancée, Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood, and of abusive behaviour by Game Of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco. Bianco sued the musician for sexual, physical and emotional abuse in 2021, and the case was settled out of court in January 2023.

In September 2023, Manson reached a private settlement with an unnamed female accuser who alleged he raped her in 2011. The Jane Doe claimed Warner threatened to “bash her head in” and denied her food and sleep during their relationship.

Manson and his legal representatives have denied all allegations of sexual misconduct against the musician. In January 2025, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department concluded a four-year investigation into the complaints against Manson, stating that they could not prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt and citing the statute of limitations.

"My lawyer and I were advised by the Deputy District Attorneys and the Sheriff deputies who investigated the case that there was compelling evidence to support our claims," said Evan Rachel Wood, "but that the statute of limitations prevents many of those crimes from being prosecuted."

"Evidence of violent crimes should not have an expiration date," she added. "I am grateful for the work law enforcement has done, and I am endlessly proud of all the survivors who risked everything to protect others by speaking the truth."