Evan Rachel Wood has revisited one of the most frightening experiences she says she endured during her relationship with Marilyn Manson. She recalled how the musician allegedly threatened to kill her during an incident when she was trying to leave.
In a new interview, Wood detailed how she felt trapped between staying with the musician and attempting to escape, believing he could hurt her either way. Her account has brought renewed attention to the abuse allegations she made against Manson in 2021.
Evan Rachel Wood accuses former fiancé Marilyn Manson of abusing her https://t.co/Suym9FJf5c pic.twitter.com/qYmKjakqCN
— New York Post (@nypost) February 1, 2021
The Chilling Ultimatum
Appearing on Lisa Bilyeu's Women of Impact podcast, Wood recalled returning to Manson after leaving him in an attempt to calm what she described as a serious situation. She said she went back because he appeared suicidal and would not leave her alone.
Wood alleged that Manson took her to a bedroom where he had laid out a prayer kneeler, an electric violet wand, rope and a whip. She said he demanded that she let him tie her up, claiming it was a test of her loyalty and trust.
'He said, "You have to let me tie you up, and you're not going to know if I'm going to kill you or not. And I might. I haven't decide"d,' Wood claimed. The actress said she felt there was no safe way out. She believed enduring what he demanded might convince him to leave her alone.
Wood alleged that he tied her up, repeatedly whipped the same spot on her body, then used the electric device on the resulting welts. She also described that a video showing a woman cutting her wrists was playing on the TV during the incident.
At one point, Wood said Manson grabbed her head and made her look at the screen before telling her: 'This is what love does to people'. She said the shock made her jerk in pain so badly that she broke the kneeler, before breaking down in tears.
'I started apologising to him, saying how sorry I was for leaving because, at that moment, I realised how dangerous and sick he was', Wood said. 'I was pretty sure he was a psychopath'.
Evan Rachel Wood reveals that the night she tried to leave Marilyn Manson, he took her upstairs and laid out a prayer kneeler, a violet wand, rope, and a Nazi whip from the Holocaust.
— Trig (@TKOTriggerX) November 1, 2026
“You have to let me tie you up. And you’re not going to know if I’m going to kill you or not… pic.twitter.com/36gtPSTUId
Sexual Abuse Allegations
Wood publicly identified Manson as her alleged abuser in February 2021, accusing him of grooming her as a teenager and subjecting her to years of physical and psychological abuse. She had previously spoken about surviving domestic and sexual abuse without publicly naming the person involved. Manson rejected the allegations. He described them as 'horrible distortions of reality' and maintained that his intimate relationships had been consensual.
The allegations prompted his record label, Loma Vista Recordings, to stop promoting his music and end plans for future projects with him. However, a subsequent criminal investigation did not result in charges.
In January 2025, Los Angeles prosecutors announced that Manson would not face criminal charges following a four-year investigation. They cited the statute of limitations for the domestic violence allegations and insufficient evidence to prove sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.
Their Relationship Timeline
Wood and Manson's relationship became public in January 2007, when the actress was 19 and the musician was 38. Their romance attracted considerable attention because of their age difference and Manson's previous marriage to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese.
The couple reportedly had an on-and-off relationship over the following years before becoming engaged in January 2010. Manson proposed to Wood in Paris, but the engagement was short-lived, with the pair separating in August that year.
