UPDATED 5/4, 10:10 a.m. ET: Police are now looking to speak with Esmé Bianco about her experiences with Marilyn Manson. TMZ writes that law enforcement sources tell the outlet the actress’ allegations could get rolled into an ongoing probe into potential criminal activity by the shock rocker.
“Bianco’s suing for sexual assault and sexual battery, but her suit didn’t say if she reported the alleged abuse to authorities,” TMZ reports, “but our law enforcement sources say they are going to speak with her now about it.”
See original story below.
Actress Esmé Bianco is alleging she was raped and sexually battered by Marilyn Manson, suing both the artist and his former manager Tony Ciulla.
A complaint filed Friday via the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that Manson—whose real name is Brian Warner—violated human trafficking laws along with his former manager and their management company. Bianco—whose credits include Game of Thrones and Supergirl—says she was brought to the U.S. from London to act in a “I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies” music video that never happened, plus a never-made horror film called Phantasmagoria.
On Friday Bianco also tweeted about the matter. “For far too long my abuser has been left unchecked, enabled by money, fame and an industry that turned a blind eye,” reads a portion of her statement. Bianco added she’s looking to “stop Brian Warner from shattering any more lives and empower other victims to seek their own small measure of justice”:
The filing, initially reported in detail by Rolling Stone, read that “by inserting himself in Ms. Bianco’s visa process, Mr. Warner was able to control Ms. Bianco by threatening to withdraw support if she displeased him,” at one point allegedly locking Bianco in a bathroom.
Friday’s news marks the first legal filing against Manson since over a dozen women came out earlier this year with accusations, with Bianco claiming that Manson sexually abused her during their 2011 relationship. The filing alleges that Manson raped Bianco “in or around May 2011” and used “drugs, force and threats of force to coerce sexual acts” on “multiple occasions.” It continues by saying that Manson “commited sexual acts” without consent.
“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,” it reads.
“As millions of survivors like myself are painfully aware, our legal system is far from perfect. This is why I co-created the Phoenix Act, a law which gives precious additional healing time to thousands of domestic violence survivors,” Esmé Bianco told Rolling Stone in a statement. “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.”
She adds that Manson was left “unchecked, enabled by money, fame and an industry that turned a blind eye,” and that she will “help to stop Brian Warner from shattering any more lives and empower other victims to seek their own small measure of justice.”
Manson’s lawyer responded to her lawsuit, telling the publication, “These claims are provably false.” He continued, “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.”
In February, the singer issued a statement, calling the numerous allegations against him “horrible distortions of reality,” writing that his “intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners.”
