‘I Stand With Marilyn Manson’ Movement Grows As Johnny Depp Fans Target Evan Rachel Wood
Amber Heard's critics are targeting other victims.
DFree/Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock Johnny Depp fans are now setting their sights on Evan Rachel Wood as a disturbing 'I Stand With Marilyn Manson' movement starts growing.
On Twitter, many people have started voicing their support for Manson, who has been accused of abuse by Wood, and many other women.
The unsolicited solidarity from Depp's fans for Manson is widely disturbing and has extremely dangerous implications.
'I Stand With Marilyn Manson' movement is growing amid Johnny Depp & Amber Heard's trial.
Fans of Depp have been quick to jump to the defense of his close friend, sharing cruel remarks about his victims.
"Keep helping your buddy #EvanRachelWood falsely accuse a man like you did to #JohnnyDepp," reads one tweet addressed to Heard in response to the support she has shown Wood.
Another shares an image of Wood and Heard, calling them both "toxic."
Under the hashtag #IStandWithMarilynManson, many tweets shame Wood for dating older men, they victim blame her, accuse her of not acting "traumatized" and label Depp and Manson's relationship a "beautiful friendship."
Evan Rachel Wood is one of many of Marilyn Manson's alleged victims.
Wood, who first met Manson when she was 18 and he was 36, had spoken for years about being a survivor of sexual abuse but it wasn't until February 2021, that Wood revealed her abuser had been Manson.
“The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” Wood wrote in an Instagram post. “He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years."
Since then, multiple women have since accused Manson of physical and sexual abuse, and he has been hit with several lawsuits.
The issue at hand, however, is that many of Depp's fans have started using the defamation trial between the actor and his ex-wife as an excuse to discredit other women who have suffered abuse and spread misogyny.
Fans defending Johnny Depp are now discrediting other abuse victims.
Unable to understand the complicated nature of abuse allegations, fans are now taking what they believe about Depp and Heard and applying it to other allegations in completely unrelated circumstances.
It doesn't help that Manson has now filed his own defamation suit against Wood over her sexual abuse allegations against him.
Manson filed the suit against Wood and Ashley "Illma" Gore, who worked with Wood as part of her push to pass legislation for abuse victims. He accused both women of having “secretly recruited, coordinated, and pressured prospective accusers.”
Manson's suit, which asks for a jury trial, also accuses Wood and Gore of intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The problem with Depp's fans showing support for Manson, who is also friends with Depp, is that the person they've created a movement for is an actual abuser.
Many of the people on social media who are calling Wood a "liar," are the same people who have been using Depp's case as a framework for all abuse.
This Depp trial has already pushed forward the rhetoric that women lie and accusations of abuse against beloved men are false.
Evan Rachel Wood bravely came forward with her story of abuse, and for people to try and use Depp's trial against Heard as an excuse to discredit all abuse survivors shows the inherent danger in how the trial is being framed.
People are using their dislike of Heard to spread a binary perception of abuse, which only further harms victims and proves that Depp's fans don't actually care to support victims of domestic violence.
"I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives," Wood continued in her Instagram post.
"I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
If you or anyone you know may be experiencing intimate partner violence, please do not hesitate to keep this list close to develop a safe exit strategy. There are also tons of free resources for individuals experiencing intimate partner violence — you are not alone.
Understanding the nuances of all the resources can be overwhelming, however, you can get started with the National Domestic Abuse Hotline any time of day by calling 1−800−799−7233.
Local organizations in your area, like Women Against Abuse in Philadelphia or Connections For Abused Women and Children in Chicago, as well as RAINN are availble to help you online or in person.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.