Marilyn Manson Accuser Went Public With Horrific Claims of Abuse. Now She Says They Were Made Up

variety.com:

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer In May 2021, Ashley Morgan Smithline appeared on the cover of People magazine next to the headline: “I survived a monster.” The story announced that Smithline, who has worked as a model and actor, was “ready to tell her truth” about the horrific abuse she had suffered at the hands of Marilyn Manson.

Among other things, she alleged that Manson had tied her up and raped her while she slept, drank her blood and carved his initials into her thigh. “I was brainwashed, and it makes me feel disgusting,” she said, alongside a photo in which she displayed the scar.

But in a three-page declaration filed in court on Thursday, Smithline recanted her allegations. She said that the claims, which she first posted to her Instagram account in February 2021, “contained untrue statements” about Manson, “including that there was violence and non-consensual sexual activity in our brief relationship.” She also stated that there was “no branding or cutting” during the relationship, “and certainly no ‘Marilyn Manson’ initials carved on my body.” Smithline also alleged that she had been pressured into making the false allegations by Evan Rachel Wood, Manson’s ex-girlfriend, who has publicly accused him of abusing her during their four-year relationship.

She alleged that she was manipulated by Wood and others, including Wood’s girlfriend Illma Gore, into participating in a publicity campaign against Manson.