Evan Rachel Wood’s advocacy for sexual assault survivors took a turn after she came forward in 2021 to name Marilyn Manson (real name Brian Warner) as the alleged abuser that she had discussed for several years, including during legislative testimony. In director Amy Berg’s two-part documentary, Phoenix Rising (which debuted at Sundance), the Westworld actress elaborates upon her previous allegations (that Manson terrorized, groomed, and abused her during their relationship) against him.
The documentary will soon debut on HBO, and in the above trailer, you can watch Evan discuss how grateful she is to feel that people believe her allegations. The documentary seeks to bring visibility to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. From the synopsis:
PHOENIX RISING, a two-part HBO documentary, follows actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood as she takes her experience as a survivor of domestic violence to pursue justice, heal generational wounds and reclaim her story. Almost a decade after escaping a dangerous relationship, Wood co-authors and successfully lobbies for passage of The Phoenix Act, legislation that extends the statute of limitations for domestic violence cases in California.
Within the documentary, Wood accuses Manson of “essentially raping” her on the set of 2007’s Heart-Shaped Glasses video, in which she says that she agreed to simulate sex before Manson allegedly had nonconsensual intercourse with her on camera. In a later statement, Manson denied the accusations via a representative, who declared, “Brian did not have sex with Evan on that set.”
Phoenix Rising premieres (on HBO) on March 15 and 16.