Tomas Mier published a cover story by People magazine interviewing Ashley Morgan Smithline in May 2021 that salaciously covered abuse allegations against Brian Warner aka Marilyn Manson. While not properly fact checked, the piece made its way onto newsstands across the US and went viral online.
Since Tomas Mier’s story was published, Smithline went onto fire her attorney in Spring 2022 and drop her civil suit and claims against Manson in December 2022. She also went onto file sworn testimony in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2023 supporting Manson’s case and alleging that she was manipulated into making untruthful statements.
Within her sworn statement, she shares that all claims of abuse she made against Manson were false and made under pressure from actresses Evan Rachel Wood and Esme Bianco as well as Wood’s partner Illma Gore. Smithline also went onto say that the messaging she used when making statements of abuse was drafted as well as published by Gore in a Feb. 2021 Instagram post after she shared her password.
Tomas Mier has not directly commented on his role in publishing these fake allegations but he did run an abbreviated statement of Smithline’s at his new post for Rolling Stone.
PEOPLE RECANTS TOMAS MIER COVER STORY
People magazine is not a publication most look to for quality journalism. Nonetheless, Ashley Smithline’s testimony for Manson’s case put the tabloid in a position where they needed to issue some form of statement recanting Tomas Mier’s reporting.
The initial cover story article now features an editor’s note acknowledging Smithline has fully recanted the abuse claims made in her Tomas Mier interview. A March 2023 print issue of the magazine also features a piece written by Rachel DeSantis that covers Smithline’s retraction.
In his lawsuit, Marilyn Manson claims Evan Rachel Wood and Illma Gore pressured women into make false allegations against him. Smithline is now the first to testify this was the case in her situation.
Rachel DeSantis’s piece recanting Tomas Mier’s reporting as false in the March 3, 2023 print issue of People Magazine.
EVAN RACHEL WOOD DENIES PRESSURING SMITHLINE
Evan Rachel Wood – who forged and filed a fake FBI letter in two states – released a statement to Tomas Mier that she never pressured Ashley Smithline into making false abuse allegations.
“I never pressured or manipulated Ashley Morgan Smithline to make any accusations against [Manson], and I certainly never pressured or manipulated her to make accusations that were not true.”
Wood and Gore’s counsel also successfully argued against Smithline’s testimony entering the case ahead of an anti-slapp motion ruling that is currently set for April 2023. The parties have been intensely arguing in court over these motions to strike for many months. On Dec. 1, 2022, LA Superior Court Judge Teresa A. Beaudet ordered that all parties in the Manson v. Gore and Wood case are not able to submit any new evidence until a decision is made the anti-slapp motion to strike certain portions of his complaint.
Judge Beaudet followed-up on this decision on Feb. 28, 2023 — ruling that the new testimony submitted by Ashley Morgan Smithline will not be considered in her anti-slapp decision. It can – and there’s a high probability that it will – be entered later when the case reaches its discovery phase. Smithline responded to Wood’s press statement as well as her most recent documents in a statement to Tomas Mier that he cut short for Rolling Stone.
Below is her full written statement provided to me over Instagram:
