Marilyn Manson suffered another legal defeat. A California judge on Friday refused to dismiss the sexual assault lawsuit brought by his former assistant Ashley Walters.
Walters' claims were revived under California's AB250 law, a two-year lookback window that lets older sexual assault cases move forward. This is Manson's latest failed attempt to kill the lawsuit. His lawyer Alexa Foley argued that Walters' allegations didn't meet the physical restraint standard needed to qualify, claiming Walters "quickly moved away" and was no longer restrained during the alleged incident.
Judge Steve Cochran rejected the argument. In his ruling, the judge said he'd "have trouble sleeping" if he dismissed the case at this stage, finding Walters' allegations strong enough to proceed. "With allegations like this, you think I'm going to be quibbling with somebody about whether it's sexual assault or not at the pleading stage?" he said from the bench.
According to the complaint filed in February, Walters alleged that Manson—whose real name is Brian Warner—pushed her onto a bed, pinned her arms, and bit her ear while grabbing her hand at his West Hollywood home studio in May 2010. She also sued his company, Marilyn Manson Records, claiming a cover-up.
The judge indicated the company claims might face tougher scrutiny later, but said both sets of allegations are strong enough for discovery and evidence-gathering. Warner and his legal team can challenge the claims again during a summary judgment motion once more evidence surfaces.
This loss marks another setback for the shock-rock icon, who has faced multiple lawsuits in recent years. For now, Manson's legal team did not get the quick exit it sought.
