In his lawsuit filed against actress Evan Rachel Wood and Ashley Illma Gore, an unreleased short horror Marilyn Manson Groupie film from 1996 was at the center of defamatory statements that he produced illegal child pornography.

This false narrative was used by Gore in her attempts to recruit past contacts of the rockstar into publicly accusing him of abuse. The film also trickles its way into various lawsuits filed against him from actress Esme Bianco, his former personal assistant Ashley Walters and a Jane Doe pop singer.

As a result, the film is the crux of his defamation claim in the lawsuit against Gore and Wood. Both filed anti-slapp motions to strike this claim, arguing that any falsehoods they may have circulated about the project depicting abuse of a minor would be protected as free speech.

What is This Marilyn Manson Groupie Video?

If you don’t know of this Marilyn Manson Groupie throwback to the 90s – no worries.

The short horror film was never released to the public outside some brief clips featured in a 1998 Dead to the World tour DVD. The project was directed by Joseph F. Cultice and co-stars Manson as well as actress Pola Weiss and his former bandmate Jeordie. It follows the story of a young fan walking into horror when breaking into the home of her rockstar idol.

While never released, Groupie has privately been shown by Manson to friends and girlfriends over the years — including Evan Rachel Wood and multiple accusers.

Ashley Illma Gore has never attended a watch party, but that did not stop her from speaking about the project with others. Evidence and sworn statements indicate she spoke to at least two individuals about Groupie depicting abuse of a minor. She also shared that the actress went on to commit suicide because of the trauma she endured while filming.

SPOILER ALERT: This is a lie.  

In July 2022, the actress from the Marilyn Manson Groupie project came forward with sworn testimony denouncing all of Ashley Illma Gore’s claims. Weiss declares that she was over the age of 21 while filming, everything on camera was pretend, she was not harmed in anyway and – thankfully – is still alive. 

YouTuber Colonel Kurtz has been covering the accusations against Manson from very early on an invited the Paula Weiss for an interview on her channel to discuss the experience filming an increasingly notorious short film that has been buzzed about by fans for decades — despite only a few seconds being made public.

DINNER FOR FIVE:

Within her anti-slapp motion, Ashley Illma Gore’s legal team argues that her alleged statements about the Marilyn Manson Groupie film being pornography are protected “free speech” because she was merely repeating his own words about the project.

To corroborate this position, Gore attaches a transcript from a Dinner for Five television episode Manson appeared on with four other celebrity guests. The topic of ‘Groupie’ came up in conversation at the table. Despite comedian Andy Dick’s jokes to the contrary – Manson clearly refutes three times that the short film was pornographic.

Horror films by nature can be disturbing with some more so than others. Nonetheless, creating horrific situations that are entirely fictional for entertainment with fully consenting adults is not a crime.

FALSE STATEMENTS

Another false statement Gore circulated about the Marilyn Manson Groupie film is that the underage actress was not credited by Manson in projects so no one would go “looking for her”. This is easily verified as a lie. Pola Weiss is listed as the actress on the project’s IMDB page as well as additional credits in the ‘Dead to the World’ DVD special that featured short snippets of the project. 

The nature of how Ashley Illma Gore spread this rumor is also something to look at. 

This was not simply water-cooler talk or casual chatter amongst friends. She was approaching women she’s never met to discuss a film she’s never even seen containing abuse of an underage girl who later, according to her, went on to commit suicide.

Her purpose in circulating these falsehoods about the film was to garner increased interest on an outreach mission of hers. In Fall 2020, we know from multiple court documents as well as HBO’s Phoenix Rising that Gore was communicating with past partners of Manson to entice them to participate in a filmed ‘survivors’ meeting. Several of these women would go on to accuse him of abuse in Feb. 2021 claims.

We have only seen a portion of the rockstar’s evidence to date but he has filed a sworn statement from one of the women Gore approached.

Greta Aurora had a consensual romantic weekend with the rockstar in 2011. She describes two suspicious emails she received a few months apart that she didn’t respond to but hung onto because they bothered her. When multiple women named Manson as an abuser on Feb. 1, 2021 — a follow-up email she’d received from Illma a few days prior on Jan. 27, 2021 clicked in her head.

The initial email she received on Oct. 15, 2020 also made sense when Gore and Wood’s Phoenix Rising showed the staged scene of survivors gathering in the second episode. The scene was filmed October 21, 2020 and centered around various claims against the rockstar. Copies of these two emails she received have been turned over to Manson’s legal team.

  

  

ILLMA GORE DEPOSITION UPDATE

In Oct. 2022, Ashley Illma Gore sat for a court-ordered deposition to discuss her state of mind when circulating false statements that the Marilyn Manson Groupie short film contained sexual abuse of a minor. This is not true.  

As mentioned, the film was not pornographic. The actress was also over the age of 21 and fully consented to everything that happened within the fictionalized scenario produced for entertainment purposes. Manson’s lead attorney Howard E. King asked Gore about her communications when discussing the film and her story flip flops throughout the conversation. She is also asked about a “Bring it on you rapist pedophile motherf*cker” tweet she published in March 2022 upon learning she was named as co-defendant in a lawsuit.

The tweet was soon after deleted but sat public for at least three hours – providing ample opportunity for many to see and screenshot.

Gore acknowledges that yes that series of tweets was intended towards Manson.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM HER DEPOSITION

• Illma Gore flip-flops on her timeline – specifically when an ‘anonymous’ person reached out to her indicating that the actress in Groupie was underage at the time and possibly committed suicide. First she says this was 2016 – 2017 but then she switches to 2018 – 2019. Which is it?
• Gore shares that she has not seen Groupie so her knowledge comes strictly from third parties. She testified that she discussed the film with an anonymous person who DMed her as well as actress Evan Rachel Wood, actress Esme Bianco, model Ashley Morgan Smithline, ex personal assistant Ashley Walters and a Jane Doe.
• Gore states she thinks a simulated sex act with an underage actress is a serious allegation but says she doesn’t find it derogatory in nature as a rumor to spread.
• Gore denies ever speaking to Michele Meyer – owner of the phone number on the fake FBI letter – about the Groupie video. Meyer submitted a sworn statement with attached messages to the contrary. In Oct. 2020, Gore told her about the film featuring a 16-year-old actress who went on to commit suicide from the trauma endured and that the film was under investigation by the FBI.
• Manson’s attorney Howard E. King started to play an audio he stated was a conversation between Gore and Michele Meyer – asking Gore if she recognized her voice. Her attorney objected and that line of questioning was dropped, for now.

RELEVANT LINKS: 

• Manson’s Lawsuit Against Gore
• Gore’s Anti-Slapp Motion
• Manson’s Opposition to Gore Anti-Slapp
• Pola Weiss Declaration (Groupie Actress)
• Michele Meyer Declaration
• Gore’s Attorney Declaration with Portion of Deposition Transcript
• Longer Portion of Illma Gore Deposition Transcript