Evan Rachel Wood came forward in 2021 to name Manson as the alleged abuser that she had spoken about for years, including while testifying for legislators on behalf of abuse survivors. She (along with Amy Berg) has also been putting together a documentary (that debuted at Sundance and will appear on HBO), in which she details her allegations (including terrorizing, grooming, and horrifically abusing her during their relationship) against him. The two-part film, Phoenix Rising, includes statements from other women who have accused Manson of sexual assault and abuse.
The subject matter is as raw and emotional as can be expected, and Wood revisits the controversial Heart Shaped Glasses video, in which she co-starred with Manson. Back when the video surfaced in 2007, there was much debate over the presumably simulated sex scene (and whether or not it was simulated); and in the documentary, Wood makes the situation clear. She agreed to simulate the sex act, and Manson allegedly decided to make it a real sex act without consent. Via Rolling Stone, Wood declared, “I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretenses.” She added, “That’s when the first crime was committed against me. I was essentially raped on-camera.” Wood continued:
“It’s nothing like I thought it was going to be,” Wood says in the Amy Berg-directed film. “We’re doing things that were not what was pitched to me. We had discussed a simulated sex scene, but once the cameras were rolling, he started penetrating me for real. I had never agreed to that … It was complete chaos. I did not feel safe. No one was looking after me. It was a really traumatizing experience filming the video. I felt disgusting and that I had done something shameful and I could tell that the crew was uncomfortable and nobody knew what to do.
Wood further detailed how Manson allegedly instructed her to say that the video was a “great, romantic time and none of that was the truth.” She explained that she complied because “I was scared to do anything that would upset Brian in any way,” and from there, the “violence” continued to “escalate” for the duration of the relationship. Berg previously told Variety that this documentary was already in the works until Wood made the decision to publicly name Manson, and at that point, the project doubled in length.
The LA Sheriff Department’s sexual assault investigation against Manson is ongoing.
(Via Rolling Stone)