Esme Bianco’s Lawsuit Against Marilyn Manson Will Move Forward Thanks To A Judge’s Ruling

Earlier this year, Games Of Thrones actress Esme Bianco revealed that her past relationship with Marilyn Manson “almost destroyed” her. In a profile with New York Magazine, she spoke about the emotional and physical abuse she endured, and about receiving help from Manson’s former assistant, Jessica Walters, and a former member of his inner circle, who corroborated her claims. Two months later, she filed a lawsuit against Manson and lodged human trafficking and abuse allegations against him as well. Manson attempted to get her lawsuit thrown out on the grounds of statute of limitations, but his motion was recently denied.

A U.S. District Court Judge ruled that Bianco’s lawsuit against Manson can move forward. The decision came in a written statement that was provided by Deadline. “A reasonable jury could find that the effects of Warner’s alleged unconscionable acts, including the perceived threat to Plaintiff’s safety, immigration status, and career, persisted years after her last contact with Warner,” the judge wrote. They also requested that Manson provide a formal response to each of the accusations Bianco made in her lawsuit within 14 days.

Bianco also delivered a response to the ruling. “My hope is that this ruling empowers other survivors to pursue justice for themselves while signaling to abusers that they cannot bully victims into silence,” she said in a statement. The judge’s decision comes after a separate lawsuit for sexual assault against Manson was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. However, the victim, a woman who was anonymously identified as Jane Doe, was granted 20 days to refile the lawsuit with more details in order to be considered for a future case, an opportunity she went through with.