Music

Evan Rachel Wood Says She Didn't Pressure Former Marilyn Manson Accuser Into Making Claims

Ashley Morgan Smithline said she publicly accused Manson of sexual assault and sexual battery only because she was pressured by Wood

Andy Kropa/Invision/AP

Evan Rachel Wood has submitted court documents denying that she pressured a former Marilyn Manson accuser into making allegations against the entertainer, saying the woman initiated contact with her through social media.

Last week, Ashley Morgan Smithline, who had previously filed a suit and publicly accused of Manson of abuse, filed a declaration of support for the entertainer in Los Angeles County Superior Court in his defamation case against Wood. Smithline said in the document that she publicly accused Manson of sexual assault and sexual battery only because she was pressured by Wood.

Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, filed a defamation suit last year accusing Wood of having “secretly recruited, coordinated and pressured” women to accuse him of abuse.

Wood has said Manson “horrifically abused” her for years. He has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to fight the accusations.

Marilyn Manson was dropped by his record label, Loma Vista Recordings, after Evan Rachel Wood accused the singer of "horrifically abusing" her "for years."

For more on this story, go to NBC News.

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