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A lawsuit alleging thatMarilyn Mansonsexually assaulted a former assistant and which was dismissed last month has been revived.
L.A. Superior Court Judge Steve Cochran granted a motion to reconsider the lawsuit Ashley Walters had brought against Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, Monday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.
While the case was dismissed last month by Cochran himself, the judge now cited a California law enacted this month, Assembly Bill 250, which allows more time for alleged victims to file claims.
Walters had originally filed her lawsuit in 2021. She alleged that she met Warner through social media when he reached out. She said she then went to his home for a potential collaboration that he pitched and was pushed onto his bed, as he attempted to put her hand in his underwear, according toRolling Stone. Walters said she left, but later agreed to be Warner's assistant and was subjected to additional abuse.
Warner has denied the allegations against him. His attorney, Howard King, reiterated Warner's denial in a statement toEntertainment Weeklyafter the latest legal development.
"Ashley Walters has been given the right to pursue a narrow claim of sexual assault under the newly enacted law, a claim that will not survive the next motion for summary judgment," King said. "While Ms. Walters made several now-irrelevant claims about so-called workplace harassment, she has no pending claims for sexual assault as defined in the penal code, as would be required under the new law, nor is she permitted under the ruling to add new claims."
He continued, "The undeniable fact is that Mr. Warner never committed any sexual assault which undoubtedly is the reason the District Attorney declined Ms. Walter's request that Mr. Warner be criminally charged."
In January 2025, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced that, following a four-year investigation, it wouldnot bring criminal chargesagainst the "Beautiful People" singer.
"We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation," officials said at the time. "While we are unable to bring charges in this matter, we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault."
Warner has also faced allegations of sexual assault and abuse from women, including actresses Esmé Bianco and former fiancée Evan Rachel Wood, which he has also denied.
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Walters' lawyer Bina Ahmad gave a statement toDeadline: "We are thrilled for Ms. Walters. She has never given up fighting for justice."
Ahmad added, "She 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."
Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
