Evan Rachel Wood Alleges Marilyn Manson “Essentially Raped” Her While Filming Music Video | Pitchfork

Note: This article details allegations of alleged assault.

The new documentary Phoenix Rising, which focuses on the life and career of Evan Rachel Wood, premiered tonight at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. It was the first part of a two-part documentary, and Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg clarified that it’s a work in progress. The movie outlines the abuse allegations Wood made against Marilyn Manson last year. It also includes new allegations from Wood.

In the film, Wood discusses the music video for Manson’s 2007 single “Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand).” She starred in the video with Manson; the singer has said that the song was inspired by Wood. “It’s nothing like I thought it was going to be,” Wood recalled of being on the video’s set. “We’re doing things that were not what was pitched to me.” She continued:

We had discussed a simulated sex scene, but once the cameras were rolling, he started penetrating me for real. I had never agreed to that. I’m a professional actress; I have been doing this my whole life; I’d never been on a set that unprofessional in my life up until this day. It was complete chaos, and I did not feel safe. No one was looking after me. It was a really traumatizing experience filming the video. I didn’t know how to advocate for myself or know how to say no because I had been conditioned and trained to never talk back—to just soldier through. I felt disgusting and like I had done something shameful, and I could tell that the crew was very uncomfortable and nobody knew what to do. I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretenses. That’s when the first crime was committed against me and I was essentially raped on camera.

Throughout the first part of Phoenix Rising, Wood discusses many elements of her life with Manson—including allegations that he isolated her from her family and abused her while on tour. Pitchfork has reached out to Marilyn Manson’s representatives.

Phoenix Rising will air on HBO in March. According to an earlier report from Variety, Wood and Berg worked on the project in secret. Prior to Phoenix Rising, Berg made documentaries about sexual abuse perpetrated by the Catholic Church and against child actors, in addition to HBO’s series The Case Against Adnan Syed.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault or domestic violence, we encourage you to reach out for support:

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotlinehttp://www.rainn.org 1 800 656 HOPE (4673)

Crisis Text Linehttp://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741

The National Domestic Violence Hotlinehttp://thehotline.org1-800-799-SAFE (7233)