[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

Well, this is horrifying… A woman who accused Marilyn Manson of sexual abuse now says her allegations were not true!

As we’ve previously reported, there have been many disturbing accusations brought against the 54-year-old rocker (real name Brian Warner) over the past couple years. More than a dozen victims, including his ex-girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood, his former assistant Ashley Walters, Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, and an unnamed accuser, have come forward to detail their horrific experiences. Manson has been accused of rape, assault, battery, grooming, even human trafficking.

Ashley Morgan Smithline even filed a lawsuit against the singer, alleging he psychologically, physically, and sexually abused her during their relationship. Manson has repeatedly denied Smithline’s allegations, and the other victims’ claims as well, insisting that his relationships were “consensual.” Last month, Smithline’s lawsuit was dismissed by a judge after she never chose to either represent herself or hire a new attorney once her lawyer Jay Ellwanger left the case.

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But she didn’t just quit! In a shocking turn of events, Smithline has now recanted her sexual abuse allegations in a sworn statement filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, saying they were “false.” That’s not all. According to the declaration obtained by People, she also claimed she only made the allegations because she felt pressured and “manipulated” by Evan and others to come forward. Ashley wrote:

“I succumbed to pressure from Evan Rachel Wood and her associates to make accusations of rape and assault against [Manson] that were not true.”

According to the model, she was “repeatedly gaslit” by the Frozen 2 star, as well as Walters, Bianco, and Wood’s girlfriend Illma Gore, to believe Mason also abused her during their relationship. In the document, Smithline stated she had a “brief, consensual sexual relationship” with the musician in 2010. She recalled that ten years later, either Walters or Gore reached out and asked her to join a meeting with women who claimed to have had “relationships or experiences” with Manson:

“I remember [Wood] asked me whether I had been, among other things, whipped, chained, tied up, branded/cut, assaulted while sleeping, beaten, or raped. She said all of these things happened to Ms. Wood and others, and that when Ms. Wood was with [Manson] every moment was a moment of survival. When I said, no this did not happen to me and this was not my experience, I recall being told by Ms. Wood that just because I could not remember did not necessarily mean that it did not happen.”

After speaking with the Westworld star, Ashley said, she started questioning her past experiences with Manson and wondering if he actually had abused her. She claimed Evan and the others told her she “may just be misremembering” and “repressing” what happened with him — leading her to believe she also had experienced abuse at the hands of Manson:

“Eventually, I started to believe that what I was repeatedly told happened to Ms. Wood and Ms. Bianco happened to me.”

By January 2021, Smithline said, she was pushed to come forward with the allegations against Manson and dropped the post detailing her experience on Instagram the following month. Now, she insisted that the statement, her interview with People, and the civil complaint she filed in June 2021 “contained untrue statements” about the artist — “including that there was violence and non-consensual sexual activity.” Smithline also noted that Manson did not brand or cut her body as she previously claimed in her complaint.

Smithline went on to say she “never intended to pursue criminal charges” against Manson and never looked over her civil complaint prior to the filing. She added that she felt “pressured” by her lawyer to do a press tour — including the big one with People. Her former attorney is calling B.S.! Ellwanger told the outlet his response is “constrained by ethical obligations regarding client confidentiality” — but he could say the allegations about her complaint and press tour at least “are categorically and verifiably false.”

As for Wood? A rep for the 35-year-old slammed the manipulation claims, saying in a statement to People that Ashley was the one who contacted Evan first about the alleged abuse:

“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.”

Whoa! At this time, Manson has not responded to this latest turn in the case against him. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Do you think Ashley was manipulated? Or that she was intimidated into changing her story? Let us know in the comments 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. 

[Image via Sheri Determan/WENN, WENN/Avalon, People/YouTube]