Evan Rachel Woodis sharing more about the sexual abuse she says she experienced from exMarilyn Mansonin a new documentary.
Part 1 of the filmPhoenix Risingpremiered Sunday night at the Sundance Film Festival (the entire documentary debuts in full on HBO in March). In it, the three-time Golden Globe nominee, 34, discussed being groomed into atumultuous relationship with Manson(born Brian Warner), from mid-2006 until early 2011. She likened it to being under the influence of his “cult.”
Wood recalled that Manson’s “first crime” against her allegedly took place while filming the now-53-year-old rocker’s 2007 “Heart-Shaped Glasses” music video when she was 19.
“It’s nothing like I thought it was going to be,” Wood said in the music video. “We’re doing things that were not what was pitched to me. … We had discussed a simulated sex scene, but once the cameras were rolling, he started penetrating me for real. I had never agreed to that. I’m a professional actress, I’ve been doing this my whole life; I’ve never been on a set that unprofessional in my life up until this day.”
“It was complete chaos,” she continued. “I did not feel safe. No one was looking after me. It was a really traumatizing experience filming the video. I didn’t know how to advocate for myself or know how to say no because I had been conditioned and trained to never talk back, to just soldier through.”
Wood said that afterward she “felt disgusting and that I had done something shameful, and I could tell that the crew was very uncomfortable and nobody knew what to do.”
Marilyn Manson (left) and Evan Rachel Wood.John Shearer/WireImage
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
TheWestworldactress explained that shewas “scared” to speak out about the incidentat the time, citing violence that would “keep escalating over the course of the relationship.” She said it took her a “really long time” to stop blaming herself and realize what was happening to her.
A rep for Manson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Manson has consistently denied such claims in the past.
Evan Rachel Wood (L); Marilyn Manson.Steve Granitz/WireImage; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
In a virtual Q&A following the screening, Wood discussed why she felt the need to tell her story in the documentary. “It’s time for me to tell the truth,” she said. “It’s time for me to finally tell my side. I can’t have it told for me anymore and people are going to believe whatever they’re going to believe. It’s not my job to convince people. I’m not lying. It’s my job to tell the truth and that’s what I’ve done. It’s all I can do.”
“The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” Wood wrote in anInstagrampost at the time. “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.”
RELATED VIDEO: Evan Rachel Wood Alleges Ex Marilyn Manson ‘Horrifically Abused’ and ‘Manipulated’ Her
“I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives,” the actress added. “I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
Manson has denied all allegations, which he called “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.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
