Fourth Accuser Sues Marilyn Manson for Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, Unlawful Imprisonment
Ashley Morgan Smithline, one of the original five women to accuse Marilyn Manson of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, is now suing the musician. The allegations against Manson include sexual assault, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking and unlawful imprisonment, among others.
Smithline is one of over a dozen total women who have publicly claimed Manson (aka Brian Warner) abused them. She’s also now the fourth woman to file a lawsuit against the musician.
Smithline’s legal complaint against Manson was posted by Rolling Stone earlier today (June 30). The lawsuit describes how Manson first contacted Smithline in 2010 as she worked as a model in Bangkok, Thailand. Several days after Manson recruited Smithline for a “film project,” the two began a consensual sexual relationship.
The following details outlined in the lawsuit are extremely disturbing. Readers should proceed with caution.
Smithline accuses Manson of tying her up and sexually penetrating her while she was asleep. When she said “no” multiple times, Warner allegedly told her to “shut the fuck up” and “be quiet.” The lawsuit accuses Manson of bruising Smithline’s ribs and causing injuries to her vagina.
The complaint against Manson continues to describe additional incidents of sexual assault and forcible penetration, Manson cutting various parts of Smithline’s body with a knife, imprisoning her inside a soundproof glass box, and breaking Smithline’s nose with his elbow. Smithline alleges that Manson abused her through sleep depravation, drug use and malnourishment, which caused Smithline’s weight to drop to approximately 80 pounds.
Smithline claims Manson frequently bit her, leaving marks and bruises that would last for weeks, strangled her by putting his hand into her mouth, burned her skin, whipped her, and threw a ‘Nazi knife’ at her, which she says barely missed her face.
Smithline alleges Manson branded her on more than one occasion, leaving the letters “MM” visible to this day.
"At no point before, during, or after their relationship did Ms. Smithline tell Mr. Warner she had a sexual “kink” or “fantasy” for this sort of behavior. Mr. Warner never told Ms. Smithline that he had those “kinks” or “fantasies” either— he just abused her,” the complaint reads. “It took Ms. Smithline years to understand the extent of Mr. Warner’s physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse. In fact, the true extent of the injuries suffered by Ms. Smithline were not fully realized until Fall 2020, when she began meeting with other survivors of Mr. Warner’s abuse.”
Because Manson originally brought Smithline to his home for a film project, the lawsuit accuses the singer of human trafficking. “Mr Warner knew these offers to be fraudulent. No effort was made to complete production of the film project and to date nothing from that project has been published. Mr. Warner merely used the film project as a pretense to lure Ms. Smithline to the United States.
Smithline and her lawyers have asked to be rewarded actual, compensatory and punitive damages, pre and post judgement interest, and legal fees as may be found appropriate and as the Court may deem just or equitable.”
Marilyn Manson/Ashley Morga... by JasonNewman
“We strongly deny Ms. Smithline’s claims,” a rep for Manson said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “There are so many falsehoods within her claims that we wouldn’t know where to begin to answer them. This relationship, to the limited extent it was a relationship, lasted less than a week in 2010. Manson hasn’t seen Ms. Smithline since then.”
Additional women who have accused Marilyn Manson of abuse include Evan Rachel Wood and Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco. See a full timeline of the abuse allegations against Marilyn Manson below.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, resources are available for help. Visit the RAINN website (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) or dial 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).