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Marilyn Manson sued for sexual assault by his ex-girlfriend 'Game of Thrones' actress Esmé Bianco

May 1, 2021, 04:10 IST
Insider
Esmé Bianco sued her ex, Marilyn Manson.David Livingston/Getty Images; Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images
  • Esmé Bianco sued Marilyn Manson and Tony Ciulla, his former manager, in a lawsuit filed Friday.
  • The complaint alleges that the singer sexually assaulted Bianco, according to Rolling Stone and TMZ.
  • The "Game of Thrones" actress also accused Manson and Ciulla of violating human trafficking laws.
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Esmé Bianco has sued her ex, Marilyn Manson, accusing the singer of sexual assault and battery, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone and TMZ.

The "Game of Thrones" actress, who played Ros on the HBO series, filed the formal complaint in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on Friday.

According to Rolling Stone, Bianco also alleged in the complaint that Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, and Tony Ciulla, his former manager who represented him for more than 25 years, violated human trafficking laws by flying her from London to Los Angeles for a music video that was never released and a film that was never created.

Bianco, who briefly dated Manson in 2011, initially came forward with allegations of abuse against Manson in a New York Magazine interview in February.

Howard King, the attorney for Manson, said Bianco's allegations are "provably false" in a statement to Insider.

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"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," King said.

Edwin F. McPherson, the attorney representing Ciulla Management, said the lawsuit was "legally meritless" in a statement to Insider.

"This attempt to involve Ciulla Management in this action is not only legally meritless, but also offensive and absurd. We look forward to formally contesting these completely frivolous allegations," he wrote.

Bianco's New York Magazine interview came shortly after Evan Rachel Wood said the singer "groomed" and abused her during their relationship. Ellie Rowsell, the lead singer of the British rock band "Wolf Alice," also came forward with allegations against Manson.

Manson has previously denied the women's allegations of abuse, calling them "horrible distortions of reality" in an Instagram statement he released in early February.

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Still, following Wood's allegations, Manson's record label, Loma Vista Records, dropped him. He was also removed from several upcoming professional projects.

Bianco is the first individual to take legal action against Manson since the accusations surfaced earlier this year, according to Rolling Stone.

Marilyn Manson attends The Art Of Elysium's 13th Annual Celebration.Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Bianco's lawsuit details how Manson allegedly sexually battered her, which the singer denies

As reported by Rolling Stone, the lawsuit states, "Mr. Warner used drugs, force, and threats of force to coerce sexual acts from Ms. Bianco on multiple occasions. Mr. Warner raped Ms. Bianco in or around May 2011."

It also says that Manson "committed sexual acts" with the actress without her consent. Bianco said that, at times, she was unconscious.

In the suit, the actress also detailed the ways in which she said Manson sexually battered her.

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"These acts include spanking, biting, cutting, and whipping Ms. Bianco's buttocks, breasts, and genitals for Mr. Warner's sexual gratification - all without the consent of Plaintiff," the lawsuit reads, according to Rolling Stone.

The actress, who lived with Manson for a month in 2011, said in the lawsuit that the singer tasked her with "unpaid labor" and alleged that Manson withheld food and rest, giving her drugs instead.

The lawsuit says, "Mr. Warner implied that because he had brought Ms. Bianco to the United States and provided housing, she owed him labor and sexual intimacy."

Ciulla dropped Manson, a longtime client, in early February amid the abuse allegations. However, his company, Ciulla Management, is listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, per Rolling Stone.

Bianco accused Manson and Ciulla of breaking the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act when the singer "employed fraud" and brought her to Los Angeles to star in a music video for "I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies" and in a separate horror film titled, "Phantasmagoria." The music video was never released, and the movie was never created.

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In the lawsuit, Bianco also said that Ciulla, Manson's former manager, was aware of the abuse and allowed it to continue.

"Mr. Warner's management had a vested interest in supporting his violent tendencies to encourage the creation of his 'art' and the promotion of the brand of Marilyn Manson, and were complicit in Mr. Warner's abuse of Ms. Bianco," the document reads, according to Rolling Stone.

After filing the lawsuit, Bianco shared a statement on her Instagram story Friday.

Esmé Bianco shared a statement on Instagram about Marilyn Manson.Esmé Bianco/Instagram

"As millions of survivors like myself are painfully aware, our legal system is far from perfect," the statement read. "This is why I co-created the Phoenix Act, a law which gives precious additional healing time to thousands of domestic violence survivors."

"But while I fight for a more just legal system, I am also pursuing my right to demand my abuser be held to account, using every avenue available to me," it continued.

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Bianco added, "For far too long my abuser has been left unchecked, enabled by money, fame and an industry that turned a blind eye. Despite the numerous brave women who have spoken out against Marilyn Manson, countless survivors remain silenced, and some of their voices will never be heard."

"My hope is that by raising mine I will help to stop Brian Warner from shattering any more lives and empower other victims to seek their own small measure of justice," the statement concluded.

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