A judge has dismissed one of the sexual abuse lawsuit against Marilyn Manson.
Ashley Walters, who worked for the rocker between 2010 and 2011, sued him for sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and wrongful termination in May 2021.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael L. Stern dismissed the case “with prejudice”, meaning Manson, real name Brian Warner, can’t be sued by Walters over the same claims again.
According to Deadline, Judge Stern ruled that Walters had “too few facts to keep this case in court” and filed her lawsuit “too late” as the statute of limitations had run out.
The former assistant’s case was initially dismissed in January but she was allowed to re-file an amended lawsuit after her legal team claimed that she took so long to bring legal action against Manson because she had repressed her memories of the alleged abuse.
Reacting to the decision, Walters told E! News in a statement, “Nobody gets to choose exactly how they process abuse or threats. I am disheartened in the court’s decision today not just for my case, but for the message it sends to other survivors out there trying to balance how they process abuse with arbitrary court deadlines. We will not let this hurdle stop us from shining a light on what happened to me and others.”
Her attorneys added that they were “deeply disappointed” by the judge’s ruling and plan to file an appeal.
Manson is still facing abuse lawsuits from actress Esmé Bianco, model Ashley Morgan Smithline, and a Jane Doe.
The musician has maintained his innocence, claiming that all of his sexual relationships have been consensual. He currently suing his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood for defamation after she accused him of being abusive during their relationship on social media in February 2021. She also detailed her allegations in the documentary Phoenix Rising, which was released earlier this year.
