Photo: Jack Fordyce / Tinseltown / Shutterstock
The letter is at the heart of his defamation lawsuit.
By Angela Andaloro — Written on Aug 19, 2022
As fans of disgraced singer Marilyn Manson continue to defend him against accusations of abuse and sexual violence, there is one key piece of evidence that seems to be at the core of their defense.
An allegedly forged FBI letter is at the heart of the legal contention between Manson and his former girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood.
In March, we first learned of Manson’s defamation lawsuit against Wood about a year after the actress publicly named him as her abuser.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Wood accused Manson of “horrifically” abusing and “grooming” her throughout their relationship from 2007, when she was just 19, to 2010 when they ended their brief engagement.
The complaint filed by Manson — real name Brian Warner — lays out several allegations.
“This action arises from the wrongful and illegal acts done in furtherance of a conspiracy by Defendant Evan Rachel Wood and her on-again, off-again romantic partner, Defendant Ashley Gore, a/k/a Illma Gore, to publicly cast Plaintiff Brian Warner, p/k/a Marilyn Manson, as a rapist and abuser—a malicious falsehood that has derailed Warner’s successful music, TV, and film career,” Manson’s legal team says, per a copy of the filing shared by Deadline.
Did Evan Rachel Wood forge an FBI letter to Marilyn Manson’s accusers?
Wood has denied accusations made by Manson’s team that she and Gore impersonated an FBI agent and sent a letter to potential accusers warning that accusers and their families were in danger and that they were federally investigating Manson.
Wood claims she also received the letter and believed it to be authentic.
Manson’s legal team says this letter added perceived legitimacy to Wood’s claims and furthered a narrative that caused others to come forward.
It’s believed as many as 16 women have come forth with accusations.
Manson also claims Wood and Gore “created a fictitious email account to manufacture purported evidence that Warner was emailing illicit pornography.”’
They also claim Wood and Gore created scripts of what to say to provide to potential accusers so that all of their stories would be coordinated and be perceived as more legitimate.
What does the allegedly forged FBI letter say?
A screenshot included in the legal filing includes the text of the letter.
“To Whom It May Concern, Please be advised that Ms. Evan Rachel Wood is one of the primary witnesses in connection with an impending criminal prosecution in Los Angeles involving an international and well-known public figure," the letter reads.
"We have advised Ms. Wood that, in our opinion, it is in her and her family's best interest not to be in Los Angeles at the time of this individual's arrest and the criminal proceedings. The safety of Ms. Wood, her son, Jack, as well as the other victims and their families are of our utmost concern during this time."
Wood’s legal team has denied Manson’s forgery allegations.
In a recent filing obtained by Radar Online, Wood’s attorney, Shawn Holley, reportedly asks that the judge not grant Manson’s request that Wood be deposed before her motion to strike several of his claims is heard by the court.
Further, she argues there’s no valid reason for the deposition to happen first.
“Wood has already unequivocally declared that she ‘did not fabricate or forge the FBI Letter’ and that ‘[w]hen [she] received a copy of the FBI Letter, and when [she] submitted it to the Court, [she] believed it to be authentic,’” the filing asserts.
Wood submitted the letter in a family custody case with ex-husband Jamie Bell regarding their now 9-year-old son.
As Holley notes, Wood encouraged Bell to call a number included in the letter's conclusion and “only confirms that Wood believed the letter to be authentic.”
“Wood has also confirmed that she did not distribute the FBI Letter outside the scope of the custody dispute.”
The FBI has not publicly commented on this matter, though Manson’s filings indicate that they have confirmed the agent whose name appears on the letter did not write or distribute such a letter.
A judge has not ruled whether Wood will be deposed before or after her motion to strike his claims is heard.
Angela Andaloro is a writer who passionately explores all things entertainment, parenting, and true crime. Follow her on Twitter here.