A sexual assault lawsuit brought against Marilyn Manson by his former personal assistant, Ashley Walters, has been dismissed ahead of trial, Rolling Stone reports. In his ruling, Los Angeles County Judge Steve Cochran noted that Walters’ claims fell outside the statute of limitations.
“We have a situation where the complaint was not filed until about 10 years after the operative events. I’m not able to find that the delayed discovery rule is applicable,” Judge Cochran said in his remarks at today’s (Tuesday, December 16) hearing. “I don’t have the authority to rule that the delayed discovery doctrine would apply under the circumstances that exist in this case.” Pitchfork has reached out to Manson’s and Walters’ respective attorneys for comment.
Walters worked as Manson’s assistant between 2010 and 2011. During that time, she claims that the singer sexually harassed her and subjected her to verbal, physical, and psychological abuse. Her initial suit against Manson, filed in 2021, was dismissed the following year, also due to statute of limitations, before being revived on appeal. Walters’ lawyer, Kate McFarlane, reportedly plans to seek an appeal of this dismissal as well.
Last year, Manson dropped the defamation lawsuit he brought against Evan Rachel Wood and Illma Gore in 2022. After a yearslong investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department into claims of domestic violence and sexual assault against Manson, it was announced in January that he will not face criminal charges.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
http://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741