Ashley Morgan Smithline, who earlier said that she had suffered horrific abuse at the hands of Marilyn Manson, stating that Manson had tied her up and raped her while she slept, drank her blood and carved his initials into her thigh, has backtracked on her statements.
"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, reports Variety.
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."
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As per Variety, 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. In addition to the People cover shoot, Smithline appeared on 'The View' and filed a lawsuit accusing Manson of violent sexual abuse.
The lawsuit was dismissed in January after her attorney, Jay Ellwanger, withdrew from the case due to a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.
Smithline now maintains that she was convinced to make the false allegations after hearing the accounts of Wood and Esme Bianco, another Manson accuser.
