A lawsuit accusing Marilyn Manson of sexual assault, discrimination, battery, and harassment has been revived in an appeals court, Billboard reports. The lawsuit, filed by the artist’s former personal assistant Ashley Walters in 2021, was dismissed last year when a judge ruled that it exceeded California’s two-year statute of limitations. The appeals court reversal noted that the lawsuit is protected by the delayed discovery rule as Walters argued that trauma led her to suppress the memories until 2020.
“Until she received diagnosis and treatment, Walters [says she] was unable to remember the repressed events, and once she did recall them, she was unable to immediately identify these events as abuse,” the court opinion reads. “These allegations of suppressed memories and psychological blocking are sufficient to withstand [dismissal].”
“We believe this ruling makes certain that courts must factor in trauma induced repression into the legal reasoning why survivors often come forward years after their trauma to raise claims,” Walters’ attorney James Vagnini said in a statement. “This clears a path, much like many of the newly passed laws sweeping the country, allowing victims of sexual assault and harassment to raise their claims against their abusers when they are able to, not by a deadline set by statute.”
A Manson representative offered no comment when reached by Pitchfork.
Manson has settled two lawsuits over alleged rape this year: one filed by Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco and another filed by a woman referred to as Jane Doe. Ashley Morgan Smithline’s 2021 lawsuit against Manson was dismissed, and she later recanted her allegations. This year, he was sued by another Jane Doe who alleged grooming and abuse that began when she was a minor in the 1990s; Manson has denied her allegations. The musician’s defamation lawsuit against Evan Rachel Wood is ongoing.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
http://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
Source : Pitchfork
