Marilyn Manson Accuser’s Sex Abuse Lawsuit Is Thrown Out Under Mysterious Circumstances
Ashley Morgan Smithline ditched her lawyer and failed to replace him in her fight against the singer and alleged abuser.
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In May 2021, model, aspiring actor, and Marilyn Manson accuser Ashley Morgan Smithline told People magazine, “I have bonded with the five other girls who went through this, and we have found such a strength in numbers.” Those other women included Evan Rachel Wood, whose documentary about the allegations against Manson (aka Brian Warner), Phoenix Rising, aired on HBO Max in 2022 and featured interviews with Smithline. “Meeting the other girls, we all felt the same thing,” Smithline said.
Now, nearly two years later, Smithline appears to have stopped pursuing sexual abuse charges against him. According to Page Six, a California judge on Tuesday tossed out her lawsuit against Manson because she has failed to replace her former legal counsel. Last month, after her attorney, Jay D. Ellwanger, filed a motion to withdraw himself from the case, Smithline was advised to find new representation. Curiously, she didn’t.
Unsettlingly, when contacted by Page Six, Manson’s attorney applauded her apparent decision. “We thank and commend Ashley Smithline for dismissing her claims against Brian Warner without seeking or receiving anything in return,” Howard King said. “Ms. Smithline has refused to be manipulated by others who are trying to pursue their own agendas against Mr. Warner. We wish her well and will continue to work to assure that a significant price will be paid by those who have tried to abuse our legal system.”
Manson’s legal team also provided Page Six with a series of private text messages between Smithline and Ellwanger regarding the latter’s withdrawal from the case, though how Manson’s attorneys got ahold of those messages remains very unclear.