A case once pronounced dead is now back on the table.
A sexual assault lawsuit filed by one of Marilyn Manson’s former assistants has been revived after a change to California law reopened the door. The case resurfaced on Monday (January 26), roughly a year after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office confirmed the musician would not face criminal charges.
Ashley Walters first brought her lawsuit against Manson (real name Brian Warner) in 2021. It was dismissed last year after prosecutors concluded a multi-year investigation into sexual assault and domestic abuse allegations without laying charges. By December, the civil sexual assault case appeared finished.
Then the law changed.
Assembly Bill 250, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, extended the window for certain sexual assault claims to be revived. The legislation allows cases involving adults to move forward if they were previously blocked by expired statutes of limitations, pushing the eligibility period to January 1, 2026.
With that shift, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steve Cochran granted a motion to reconsider the lawsuit in a downtown L.A. courtroom. Cochran had previously dismissed the case himself, but cited the new legislation as grounds for reopening it.
In her original filing, Walters alleged she met Warner through social media and later visited his home after he proposed a potential collaboration. According to Rolling Stone, she claimed he pushed her onto a bed and attempted to place her hand inside his underwear. Walters said she left the encounter, but later agreed to work as his assistant between 2010 and 2011, during which she alleges further abuse occurred.
The lawsuit was first dismissed in May 2022 due to the statute of limitations, then briefly revived after an appeal, before being dropped again late last year.
Warner has denied all allegations made by Walters, as well as similar claims brought by his former fiancée, Westworld actress Evan Rachel Wood, and Game Of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco. He has reached out-of-court settlements with some accusers, including Bianco, and in November 2024 dropped a defamation lawsuit he had filed against Wood.
In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Warner’s attorney Howard King reiterated his position. “The undeniable fact is that Mr Warner never committed any sexual assault,” he said, adding that this was why the District Attorney declined to pursue criminal charges.
Walters’ lawyer, Bina Ahmad, struck a different tone in a statement to Deadline. “We are thrilled for Ms Walters,” she said. “She has never given up fighting for justice.”
Some pretty deep stuff. You know I’ll be watching to see how this unfolds. I’ll keep you updated.
