Final Countdown to the Anti-Slapp Hearing with Updates from Evan Rachel Wood and Illma Gore

Posted on by Kelly

On the eve of Thanksgiving here in the United States — actress Evan Rachel Wood and her partner Illma Gore served up some new legal documents for the holiday!

These filings were made in response to documents submitted by Marilyn Manson’s team a week prior and are the last additions we’ll see on the court document ahead of the big anti-slapp hearing on December 1.

WHAT IS ANTI-SLAPP?

Shortly after filing his lawsuit in March 2022, both Evan Rachel Wood and Illma Gore responded by filing anti-slapp motions to remove portions from his lawsuit as protected free speech. The two elements most notably at risk are the fake FBI letter as well as a defamation claim surrounding a Groupie video that they falsely said was child pornography. (It wasn’t.)

It’s important to note that:

  1. No matter the outcome — the losing party/parties will likely exercise the right to an appeal.
  2. The most (in my opinion) strong elements of this lawsuit (fraud, hacking, swatting, etc.) are not at risk for dismissal and are sure to advance into discovery — and very likely a future trial.

EVAN RACHEL WOOD UPDATES

Evan Rachel Wood is heading into the anti-slapp hearing on the argument of litigation privilege largely – because while forged, the FBI letter within Manson’s complaint was filed within a custody dispute when she tried to move her son cross-country to Tennessee without his father’s consent.

As frustrating as that may be for any tax-payer that doesn’t want citizens weaponizing forged documents in a family or any case – there is strong litigation privilege built into the anti-slapp statute that creates a steep bar to cross.

In addition to motioning to strike the forged FBI letter in its entirety, Wood also strikes a checklist of alleged abuse Manson claims was circulated as part of their recruitment of other women to name him as an abuser to help craft messaging in their statements.

She motioned to strike the FBI letter in its entirety as well as any involvement in rumors about the Groupie video.

ILLMA GORE UPDATES

The biggest difference between Illma Gore and Evan Rachel Wood heading into the anti-slapp hearing is, unlike Wood, Gore did not motion to strike anything surrounding impersonating a federal agent and forging an FBI letter. That said, if Wood’s motion to strike is granted in that regard she can ask the court to apply the same ruling to her.

Prior to the anti-slapp hearing, Manson’s team won an early deposition from the court to depose Illma Gore in relation to her state of mind when spreading statements about the Groupie video (which she’s never seen nor has she even met Manson). The deposition initially took place on October 15th but according to part of the transcript filed by attorneys this week — it ran over to October 25. The entirety of the deposition was designated as “confidential” under a protective order that was signed by all parties. However, a small section has been made public.

Gore is heading into the anti-slapp motion on a variety of defenses:

  • Lack of “malice” with her state of mind via internet gossip that while verifiably false could create a frame of mind with non-intent
  • Litigation privilege related to her work for the Phoenix Act — a now-closed nonprofit organization she ran with Wood for a short while on expanding the statute of limitations in California.
  • She was only repeating Manson’s own words — citing a transcript where he three times refutes that the Groupie film contained a minor and was pornographic in nature

Her team has filed several more documents to support their arguments – and while the evidence in relation to internet gossip is weak on credibility her counsel make strong arguments that definitely don’t make this a locked case for Manson’s team.

 

HELPFUL VIEWING

Attorney and Part-Time YouTuber at Southern Law Weighs In: