Marilyn Manson and Games of Thrones actor Esmé Bianco reach settlement in sexual assault lawsuit
Bianco had accused musician of sexual, physical and psychological abuse
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Marilyn Manson and Game of Thrones actor Esmé Bianco have reached a settlement in the sexual assault lawsuit that Bianco filed against the musician in 2021.
Bianco, who played sex worker Ros in the HBO fantasy epic, first went public with her accusations against Manson in February 2021, before filing a lawsuit a few months later.
In the lawsuit, she accused Manson of sexual, physical and psychological abuse.
Bianco dated the musician, whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner, in 2011 after meeting him on a music video set.
In her federal lawsuit, Bianco alleged that Manson inflicted cuts and bruises that left permanent scars on her body while they were living together. She also alleged that Manson chased her with an axe and would repeatedly play her sex scene in Game of Thrones to guests in order to embarrass her.
At the time, Manson’s lawyer Howard E King asked for the suit to be dismissed, claiming that Bianco’s claims “are provably false”.
“To be clear, this suit was only filed after my client refused to be shaken down by Ms Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their outrageous financial demands based on conduct that simply never occurred. We will vigorously contest these allegations in court and are confident that we will prevail,” he added.
It has now emerged that the lawsuit has been dropped, with both parties reaching a settlement out of court.
The exact terms of the agreement are unknown. The Independent has contacted Manson and Bianco’s respective lawyers for comment.
Bianco’s allegations were far from the only claims made against Manson in 2021. Bianco came forward soon after Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood posted on Instagram alleging that Manson had “horrifically” abused her, and that she was “brainwashed and manipulated into submission”.
Bianco starred in Manson’s Lewis Carroll-inspired film Phantasmagoria. Her work visa relied on the project, and she was worried that leaving Manson meant her visa privileges would cease to exist, so she stayed with him despite the abuse, she told The Cut in February.
Manson has consistently denied the claims of abuse by various women, including Wood, and called them “horrible distortions of reality”.
If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here.