Marilyn Manson's Sexual Assault Lawsuit Revived Under New California Law

The legal battle between Marilyn Manson and his former personal assistant, Ashley Walters, continues as her sexual assault lawsuit has been revived and is set to proceed to trial, according to Deadline. This development follows a previous dismissal of the case by the same judge, Steve Cochran, who cited the statute of limitations as the reason. However, a new California law has changed the landscape.

The new law, Assembly Bill 250, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, extends the statute of limitations and came into effect shortly after the initial dismissal. Judge Cochran, of the L.A. Superior Court, initially felt he lacked the authority to apply the delayed discovery rule, given the decade-long gap between Walters' employment with Manson and the 2021 lawsuit. Walters and her legal team argued that repressed memories caused the delay. Despite an appellate panel suggesting she be given a chance to prove this, Judge Cochran remained unconvinced – until now.

Marilyn Manson

Walters’ attorney, Bina Ahmad, stated to Deadline that her client “has had to overcome a lot of obstacles, as so many survivors are forced to do. Mr. Warner has tried time and again to avoid accountability for his abuse against Ms. Walters. But now, thanks to AB 250, abusers like Mr. Warner can no longer hide behind the statute of limitations.”

Manson denies the allegations of sexual assault made by Walters. Last year, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department dropped its pursuit of criminal charges against Manson, citing the statute of limitations and the difficulty of proving sexual assault charges beyond a reasonable doubt.