California judge dismisses part of Marilyn Manson's lawsuit against Evan Rachel Wood.
A California judge has severely weakened Marilyn Manson's lawsuit against ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood, who accused him of sexual abuse. Manson had sued Wood and her girlfriend Ashley Gore for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging that they fabricated sexual abuse allegations against him. However, Judge Teresa Beaudet struck Manson's emotional distress claim and ruled that many of Wood and Gore's activities fell into a "protected" category under California's anti-SLAPP statute, which seeks to limit "strategic lawsuits against public participation" aimed at chilling free speech. Manson intends to appeal.