She was afraid to leave. On the podcast Navigating Narcissism, Evan Rachel Wood said she feared threats from Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, and that staying seemed like a death sentence; leaving terrified her too.
She described episodes of isolation and lengthy reprimands as part of the abuse she attributes to him. Manson has denied the allegations.
Wood linked the beginning of her disclosures to Westworld. Playing Dolores Abernathy—a programmed character who couldn’t fire weapons and later manages to overcome that programming—allowed her to reconnect with emotions she had kept at bay. On set, she began sharing her experiences and said she hadn’t been able to cry about them until seven years later. Her allegations became public in February 2021.
