An anonymous woman filed a lawsuit against singer Marilyn Manson for allegedly grooming and sexually assaulting her multiple times when she was underage in the 1990s.
Plaintiff “Jane Doe” filed the lawsuit in Nassau County Supreme Court in Long Island, New York, on Monday against Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, and his former record labels, Interscope and Nothing Records, Rolling Stone reported.
The filings include several accusations of misconduct early in his career, which include counts of sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other charges against the labels from 1995 through 1999.
“While on the tour bus, Defendant Warner performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon Plaintiff, who was a virgin at the time, including but not limited to forced copulation and vaginal penetration,” the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit alleges Doe first encountered the singer at 16 years old at a concert in Dallas, Texas, in 1995, where the plaintiff claims the defendant invited her “and one of the other younger girls” inside the bus after waiting outside to meet the artist.
Doe further claims one of the band members witnessed the singer sexually assault her and that Warner threatened her, saying that “if she told anyone, he would kill her and her family,” the lawsuit reads.
A crew member for the singer allegedly gave Doe a 1-800 number to access the band and meet with the singer again. The plaintiff also claims Warner would reach out to her online and request explicit images of her and her friends.
The lawsuit also documents a second assault when the singer allegedly convinced Doe to travel to New Orleans for a concert when she was 16, where he “groomed” her by complimenting her artwork.
Part of the lawsuit claims the defendant’s record labels “were well-aware” of Warner’s “obsession with sexual violence and childhood sexual assault.”
“Defendants Interscope and Nothing Records were aware of Defendant Warner’s practice of sexually assaulting minors, and aided and abetted such behavior,” the lawsuit reads. “As a result of Brian Warner’s sexual abuse and assault, enabled and encouraged by Defendants Interscope and Nothing Records, Plaintiff has suffered severe emotional, physical, and psychological distress, including shame, and guilt, economic loss, economic capacity and emotional loss.”
“This suit by this survivor is a giant step in bringing light and heat to an industry that has been hiding perils in plain sight,” Jeff Anderson, attorney for Doe, told Rolling Stone in a statement. “It’s time to face the music. New laws give survivors the time to take real action for justice and protection.”
“We are grateful to the survivors and so many others who now align with us to expose the predators and those in the music industry that have … permitted, promoted, and profiteered from his violence against the vulnerable,” Anderson adds.
The plaintiff seeks unspecified damages that a trial will determine, including an “order enjoining Defendants from future unlawful business practices including, but not limited to, exposing minors and vulnerable adults to sexual abuse and exploitation.”
Representatives for Manson and the record labels did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, who founded Nothing Records, responded to a claim in Manson’s 1998 autobiography “The Long Hard Road Out of Hell” two years ago, which reads that the two musicians allegedly physically and sexually assaulted a woman in the 1990s.
“I have been vocal over the years about my dislike of Manson as a person and cut ties with him nearly 25 years ago,” Reznor said, according to Rolling Stone. “As I said at the time, the passage from Manson’s memoir is a complete fabrication. I was infuriated and offended back when it came out and remain so today.”
Manson has been accused of sexual misconduct several times in recent years by more than two dozen women, including actress Evan Rachel Wood and Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, who have described similar patterns of sexual and physical abuse from the singer.
Model Ashley Morgan Smithline filed a lawsuit against Manson alleging that he raped and abused her multiple times from 2010 to 2013. However, it was dismissed without prejudice earlier this month after Smithline attempted to fire her legal representation and did not find new counsel prior to a deadline.