Tragic Details About Evan Rachel Wood

This article includes graphic discussions of mental health, suicide, domestic violence, abuse, and sexual assault. It may not be suitable for all readers.

Evan Rachel Wood has gone through a tremendous amount of turmoil throughout her time in the public eye. The actor and activist has bravely vocalized her alleged struggles to the masses in recent years in order to raise awareness on subjects regarding mental health, suicide, sexual assault, and domestic abuse. 

Although the "Westworld" actor is thankfully no longer in an allegedly abusive relationship with Marilyn Manson (legally named Brian Warner), she still has to deal with the aftermath of their courtship to this day. Not only does she suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, but she also endures visceral hate and death threats from the singer and his fans (per Harper's Bazaar).

It can be overwhelming to consider all the heartache and pain that the actor has allegedly experienced. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel because, according to Wood, she has been able to find a sense of strength while speaking out as a survivor. The actor is now able to use her massive platform to help others who might be going through similar situations. Keep reading to learn more about this star who was able to rise like a phoenix from the ashes and make a difference.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

While filming "Thirteen," Evan Rachel Wood was forced into an inappropriate situation. She recalls the moment while speaking in her HBO documentary titled "Phoenix Rising" (directed by Amy Berg), which predominantly focuses on the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of Marilyn Manson. "I grew up with this mentality that it was your job to keep going, even when you felt uncomfortable," the actor said. Recalling her role in "Thirteen," she continued, "I had to make out with a 23-year-old when I was 14 in front of a room full of people. And I remember not wanting to do it, but I knew that the character needed to, and so it didn't matter what Evan wanted. It just had to be done. And that set a tone for not good situations as an adult." After this filming experience, Wood was cast in other roles that were too mature for her as a teen girl, she explained.

Today, Wood speaks up for herself and uses her platform to help other victims. "The reason that I really decided to go [public] with this was because I found out he had abused other women," she told Harper's Bazaar of her relationship with Manson in 2019 (before she was naming the alleged abuser). "That changed everything. It helped me feel stronger, because it wasn't just about me — I'm not just fighting for me anymore."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Evan Rachel Wood was a teenager when she got her start in the entertainment industry. The actor had starred in a handful of projects as a child, but her claim to fame wasn't until she acted alongside Nikki Reed in the cult classic 2003 film, "Thirteen." Being thrust into Hollywood can be a genuine challenge for anyone, yet this was especially so for Wood. According to the actor, because she was so vulnerable at this age, she bore the brunt of bullying from the higher-ups in the entertainment industry.

The "Westworld" actor can even pinpoint an exact moment when she felt that she had no agency. Wood was part of a photo shoot for Vanity Fair's famous 2003 teen issue, in which she was not allowed to choose her outfit and was not comfortable with the clothes she was told to wear. "I was almost in tears after this shoot," she revealed in a since-deleted 2014 tweet (via Vulture). She later added, "I was 15 and felt for the first time my identity being erased and the pressure to shut up and do what you are told. I felt like meat. Since then, I have found my voice." She encouraged young women to be themselves too, "No matter what."

Evan Rachel Wood says that she was groomed by goth-rock musician Marilyn Manson when she was just 18 years old — followed by Manson love-bombing her and isolating her from her family. Manson was 37. Wood told British Elle (via People) in 2007 that they met at a Los Angeles party in the Chateau Marmont. In her documentary "Phoenix Rising," Wood recalls, "I didn't know what being preyed upon was. I didn't know what being groomed was."

The "Westworld" actor says the torture began when she was in Manson's music video for "Heart-Shaped Glasses." The song is inspired by Vladimir Nabokov's 1954 novel "Lolita," about a pedophile's relationship with a 12-year-old girl. Romanticizing Nabokov's novel is one disturbing facet of a horrifying situation. Wood alleges in her documentary "Phoenix Rising" (via People), "I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretenses. That's when the first crime was committed against me, and I was essentially raped on camera." She said Manson made her speak positively about the video in the press, and that his violence continued for years after this assault.

Although it has been over a decade since their relationship ended, Wood still, understandably, has struggled to cope. "I am not OK because no matter how much work I do I'm still searching for some sort of peace, and I'm searching to feel safe," she shared in her social media campaign #IAmNotOK (via NME), "and I'm still trying to put all of this behind me, but I don't know if I'll ever be fully able to do that."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Evan Rachel Wood has clearly suffered from the pain she alleges Marilyn Manson has caused her to this day. In 2019, the actor discussed old physical scars, explaining on Twitter that she had inflicted harm on herself while in an abusive relationship "as a way to disarm" her abuser during a threat or attack (via Page Six). "At that point I was desperate to stop the abuse and I was too terrified to leave," she wrote.

Wood testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee in favor of a Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights Act in 2018 (via HuffPost). In her testimony, Wood described her horrific memories of Manson's alleged domestic violence: "Toxic mental, physical, and sexual abuse, which started slow, but escalated over time, including threats against my life, severe gaslighting and brainwashing," she listed. She also mentioned the corresponding effects of her PTSD and referred to self-harm and two suicide attempts.

"I was deeply terrified, and that fear lives with me to this day," Wood added. "What makes me more hurt and more angry than the actual rape and abuse itself, was that piece of me that was stolen, which altered the course of my life."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Tragically, Evan Rachel Wood says that she attempted suicide at age 22. The star admits that she was so beaten down and depressed due to the alleged abuse she'd suffered from Marilyn Manson that she felt as though putting an end to her life was the only way out. After the attempt, a switch flipped inside Wood, and she realized that if she was going to live through this experience, she needed to seek out urgent care from a mental health provider. With her mother's help, the actor checked into a psychiatric hospital so she could find safety.

She wrote a gut-wrenching essay for Nylon about her recovery. "Looking back, it was the worst, best thing that ever happened to me," she said of her stay in the psychiatric ward. "It was morning; I felt as though I had been hit by a truck. Then with an almost hysterical acceptance, without thinking, I picked up the phone. It was one of those moments when you have a choice that goes beyond the initial choice you make by calling out for help: You can not die, or you can come back to life." 

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Evan Rachel Wood says that Marilyn Manson would not use protection during sex and was controlling about her forms of contraception. Wood became pregnant and got an abortion, yet Manson refused to react to the situation with any form of sensitivity or care. She reveals in the HBO documentary "Phoenix Rising" that Manson made Wood cook for him right after the abortion that she considered traumatic.

"I obviously believe in a woman's right to choose, but that doesn't mean it wasn't devastating," she revealed in the documentary (via Insider). "The second it was over [he] was like, 'Make me dinner.' And I remember being like, 'I'm supposed to be resting — my body has gone through this trauma, there's aftermath here.' And he didn't care."

The actor now has a son whom she shares with her ex-partner, Jamie Bell. In fact, according to Wood, her child is the reason she has been vocal about her alleged experience with domestic abuse. She spoke up on "The Drew Barrymore Show," saying, "If I run away from this now, what do I tell my child? You know, be that person. If you have the platform and the privilege to help other people, dear God, use it."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Evan Rachel Wood has always been vocal about her advocacy for women's rights issues, and she uses her famous platform to raise awareness on the subject. The "Westworld" actor has opened up about the slut-shaming she experienced by dedicated fans of Manson, who would call Wood a slew of derogatory names just because she was in a relationship with him. Of course, this all happened when she was a teenager, making it all the more difficult to handle. Speaking of the misogyny she experienced through cyberbullying, she told British Elle in 2007 (via People), "I've seen blogs where I've been called a slut, a wh***, that say I should be condemned to death simply because I've fallen in love."

In a 2019 interview with Harper's Bazaar, the talented actor said that the endless name-calling she received from both the public and the media at the time made it nearly impossible for her to open up to the world about her alleged abusive relationship. "In the press, it was so traumatic," she told the magazine. "They were calling me a wh***, they were calling me crazy, and they were calling me names before I'd even said anything. I felt like my credibility had already been destroyed, so it made it very difficult to come out during that time," the "Practical Magic" actor said. "My greatest fear was when I eventually said something, that all of that was going to repeat itself. I was really scared."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

When Evan Rachel Wood finally found the strength to share her story of the alleged torment she experienced from Marilyn Manson by testifying against him, she claimed Manson made threats and targeted her son. Wood shares a child with her former husband, Jamie Bell. According to the Daily Mail, her child was only eight years old when the musician made a threat to sexually assault him. She alleged in her "Phoenix Rising" documentary that he had a history of threatening Wood by telling her he would harm everyone in her family, starting with her father.

Wood said in a court declaration pertaining to her son's custody, "I have suffered severe traumatic physical and emotional injury at his hands, and I am afraid he will seek retribution against me for testifying by harming me, our son, and members of my family." She added, "In my experience, the alleged offender is very retaliatory and has always made it clear that he will ruin my life."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

In her "Phoenix Rising" documentary, directed by Amy Berg, Evan Rachel Wood takes time to reflect on and analyze Marilyn Manson's life, past, and allegedly antisemitic behaviors, along with detailing the alleged violence he inflicted on her. Manson sued Wood for defamation in March 2022, ahead of the HBO documentary's wide release. His filed complaint characterizes Wood and Illma Gore's work as "a conspiracy" and "a malicious falsehood that has derailed Warner's successful music, TV, and film career" (via Deadline).

Wood responded on "The View" a couple weeks later, saying, "I can't obviously speak about any of the specific allegations of the lawsuit, but I am not scared. I am sad, 'cause this is how it works. This is what pretty much every survivor that tries to expose someone in a position of power goes through, and this is part of the retaliation that keeps survivors quiet. ... I'm very confident that I have the truth on my side and that the truth will come out."

The actor has already worked hard to give other survivors a voice. In 2019, she advocated for the Phoenix Act, written and supported by Senator Susan Rubio, before the California Senate Public Safety Committee. The act sought to give victims extended time to report abuse, and it lengthened the statute of limitations from three years to five.