Musician Marilyn Manson is suing his former flame Evan Rachel Wood for defamation after she accused him of sexual abuse last year. In a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, Manson’s lawyers detail “a conspiracy” between friend and actress Ilma Gore and Wood that the musician claims was crafted to take him down. Manson alleges that he was wrongfully cast “as a rapist and abuser” and that false accusations from people recruited by Wood and Gore have derailed his career. The lawsuit comes ahead of the anticipated March 15 premiere of the documentary Phoenix Rising, which delves into Manson’s alleged abuse of Wood. The lawsuit also alleges that Wood and Gore posed as an FBI agent to create the false impression of an ongoing federal investigation into the artist.
