Marilyn Manson Under Investigation For Domestic Abuse

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed an ongoing domestic violence investigation of rock star Marilyn Manson Thursday, just two weeks after several former girlfriends accused him of abuse.

"The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Bureau is investigating allegation(s) of domestic violence involving Mr. Brian Warner also known as 'Marilyn Manson,' who works in the music industry," the department confirmed to Patch. "The incidents occurred between 2009 and 2011 when Mr. Warner lived in the city of West Hollywood."

The department did not identify the alleged victims or detail the incidents.

The investigations follow a spate of accusations against Manson triggered by an Instagram post by "Westworld" star Evan Rachel Wood. She has since accused Manson of extreme sexual and physical violence during their relationship. Several other women have said he similarly abused them.

Manson denies the abuse.

Following the allegations, the singer's record label dropped him, and multiple television shows cut him from upcoming episodes.

Both Wood and actress Esmé Bianco accused Manson of abuse while they lived with him in West Hollywood during the time frame of the Sheriff's Department investigation.

Bianco, who played Ros in the HBO series "Game of Thrones," told ABC that after she moved into Manson's West Hollywood apartment in 2011, he did not allow her to eat, sleep or leave without his permission.

“I basically felt like a prisoner," Bianco told "The Cut." "I came and went at his pleasure. Who I spoke to was completely controlled by him. I called my family hiding in the closet."

Manson's abuse was an open secret, Bianco said. Assistants and other musicians saw how he treated her. “He’s told the world time and time again, ‘This is who I am,’” Bianco said. “He hid in plain sight.”

Wood accused Manson in early February of sexual and physical abuse during their relationship, which lasted from January 2007 until August 2010. She had previously testified to her experience as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence. But it wasn't until this month that she put a name to her alleged abuser.

“The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” Wood said. “He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years.”

"I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander or blackmail," she added. "I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent."

The fallout was swift. Loma Vista Recordings dropped Manson following Wood's accusation.

Manson denied Wood's allegations in a social media post. "Obviously my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy," Manson wrote on his Instagram account. "But these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners.

"Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth," he said.

Dan Cleary, a former assistant to Manson, said in a podcast this week that he repeatedly saw Manson abuse his current wife in 20014 and 2015.

“I saw some physical abuse as far as, like, pushing and throwing things at her and a lot of, like, violent outbursts around her ― breaking things,” Cleary said in the podcast episode, according to HuffPost. “A lot of mental abuse and name-calling and threats.

“There were times when Manson would tell her that he’s going to kill her and cut her up and that I’m going to bury her in the desert ― me,” Cleary added. “He would leave the room, and I would [tell her], ‘You’re going to be fine. I’m not going to do any of that. Let’s get you to a hotel.’”

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, police in Los Angeles have opened up several investigations into allegations of abuse against celebrities dating back years. They have infrequently ended in criminal charges, largely due to the statute of limitations. Two notable cases include the ongoing rape cases against Harvey Weinstein and Danny Masterson.

SEE ALSO:

• Danny Masterson Pleads Not Guilty To Raping Three Women
• Harvey Weinstein Charged With Assaulting Third Woman In LA
• Kevin Spacey And Steven Seagal Avoid Sex Assault Charges

City News Service contributed to this report.