The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s latest interest in the multiple sexual assault allegations against Marilyn Manson has drawn the ire of one of the singer’s former accusers. Game of Thrones alum Esmé Bianco blasted George Gascón in a news conference Thursday, saying the DA has ignored her requests to meet with and has failed to make a timely decision on whether to prosecute the rocker over her claims of sexual abuse.
“I am one of over a dozen women who have come forward publicly at immense personal risk to provide evidence about how Marilyn Manson has sexually assaulted them,” Bianco told reporters outside the DA’s downtown L.A. offices. “We are all still waiting for answers.”
She accused Gascón, who is in a tough re-election fight with weeks to go before the election, of politicizing her case.
“Not until he knew I would stand up and publicly demand answers while sharing a podium with his political opponent did he try to offer some explanation,” she said of a statement released Wednesday night by the District Attorney’s Office (read it below), in which Gascón said prosecutors were investigating “new evidence” involving Manson that has emerged during the past few weeks.
Bianco’s statements come one day after the politically besieged Gascón’s office released a statement about a new internal probe into claims against the much-accused “Beautiful People” performer. Here’s that statement in full:
“Experienced prosecutors from our office’s Sex Crimes Division are carefully reviewing new leads and additional evidence that continue to come to our attention from the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s investigation. New evidence has emerged within the last few weeks, adding to an already extensive case file presented to our office by the LASD. It is our office’s responsibility to ensure that we have a complete picture of the admissible evidence available before making a filing decision. Senior staff members have met with victims, and our prosecutors continue to remain in contact with the victims and their representatives throughout this process. We are committed to making sure they are treated with dignity and respect. I have received requests from victims to meet personally to discuss the case, however, as the case is being investigated it would be inappropriate for me, as District Attorney, to meet with victims during this time. We anticipate making a filing decision soon and will provide an update when that time comes. At that time, I look forward to meeting with the victims to discuss how my office can continue to support them.”
Gascón has taken heat over his recent declaration that the DA’s office is “reviewing” the notorious Menendez brothers double-murder case. The siblings, who have been jailed since their 1989 arrests and subsequent mistrial and eventual convictions, are the subject of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, a popular Netflix series from Ryan Murphy. Kim Kardashian published an essay last week asking that the Menendez brothers life sentences for the shotgun murders of their parents be reconsiders.
Meanwhile, Gascón and his opponent, former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman, squared off in a television debate Tuesday. The incumbent trails his challenger by 30 percentage points in a poll released this week.
Bianco, who played Ros on the first three seasons of HBO’s smash drama series Game of Thrones, accused Manson (né Brian Warner) of sexual assault and sexual battery in a 2021 civil lawsuit. The suit against the singer and his label Marilyn Manson Records was settled in January 2023.
Despite still facing lawsuits — including one by his former girlfriend, Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood alleging sexual abuse — Manson will launch a sold-out European tour in February. He also has a festival date next month in Mexico.
City News Service contributed to this report.
