On Tuesday, Jan. 3, U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha threw out Smithline’s 2021 sexual abuse lawsuit against Manson, multiple outlets reported. The suit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning that Smithline can still sue the musician over the same allegations in the future. According to court documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Smithline fired her attorney in October and did not notify the court of a substitute by the deadline in December, constituting cause for dismissal. Smithline, the former girlfriend of Manson, filed the lawsuit in June 2021, accusing him of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions in 2010 during their on-and-off relationship. Manson—whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner—has denied the claims, stating in 2021, “There are so many falsehoods within her claims that we wouldn’t know where to begin to answer them,” per the outlet. But Smithline isn’t the only woman to come forward with claims against the rocker, as several others, including actress Evan Rachel Wood and Game of Thrones alum Esmé Bianco, have accused Manson of sexual abuse as well. In 2022, Manson filed a defamation lawsuit against Wood and her co-defendant, Ashley “Illma” Gore, claiming that their public allegations against him have “derailed” his career. But Manson is also named in another federal lawsuit, filed in 2021 by Bianco, in which she accuses the singer of sexual assault and human trafficking. According to the LA Times report, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office also is currently “weighing wether to criminally charge Manson following a 19-month sexual abuse investigation,” which looked into alleged incidents involving Manson from 2009 to 2011.
