Known for her bold roles and even more daring fashion choices, Evan Rachel Wood has captivated audiences with her talent and fearless sense of style. Over the years, she’s used her red carpet appearances as a platform for self-expression, powerfully blending elegance with edge.
But beyond the glitz and glamour, Wood’s fashion evolution tells a deeper story of resilience, transformation, and advocacy. After bravely coming forward with her experiences as a survivor of sexual and domestic abuse, she has become a fierce voice for change, using her platform to raise awareness and fight for victims’ rights.
From gender-fluid tuxedos at the Golden Globes to dramatic gowns on the red carpet, Evan Rachel Wood’s fashion is far more than aesthetic—it’s symbolic. Let’s take a look at how her style has mirrored her personal journey and public activism.
Evan Rachel Wood exudes sleek autumn elegance in pointed-toe heeled ankle boots and a teal coat while filming Westworld on New York City’s High Line on October 5, 2021 (Credit: MEGA / WENN)
For years, Evan Rachel Wood didn’t specifically say who her abuser was, but it soon became very clear that it was none other than her ex-fiancé, goth rocker Marilyn Manson.
In March 2022, the actress appeared in a heart-wrenching documentary series, Phoenix Rising, where she detailed the awful abuse she experienced at the hands of her ex.
Evan Rachel Wood and Marilyn Manson Met When She Was 18
The pair first met at a party hosted at the Chateau Marmont, a swanky Los Angeles hotel well known for its sordid history, telling Elle in August 2007 that they found solace in one another’s presence since both of them were “hiding in the corner or a party neither of us wanted to be at.”
At the time, Manson was still married to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese but still pursued a friendship with Wood, who says that they became “movie buddies.”
Marilyn Manson and girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood coordinate in edgy all-black ensembles, with Evan adding a bold pop of color in crimson pants and Manson opting for a skull-print tee and leather trench (Credit: Stefan Trautmann / WENN)
Evan Rachel Wood and Marilyn Manson Begin a Controversial Romance
However, their marriage didn’t last, as Dita Von Teese filed for divorce in December 2006, with some sources citing that Manson’s “friendship” with Wood was a driving factor for their split. Then, Wood says, “We just suddenly looked into one another’s eyes and knew.”
They began their relationship when Evan Rachel Wood was only 18, and Marilyn Manson was 37.
“I met somebody that promised freedom and expression and no judgments, and I was craving danger and excitement,” she said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
“And I was craving danger and excitement. I looked at my mother one day and said, ‘Mom, I’m gonna get on this tour bus for eight months and see the world and have a crazy journey and find myself, and if people aren’t OK with that, I’m sorry, but I can’t live my life for other people.’”
Marilyn Manson and girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood make a striking appearance at his Eat Me, Drink Me album listening session in Berlin on April 20, 2007, with Evan in a red satin pleated skirt, black satin-lapel blazer, and Mary Jane heels, while Manson opts for rocker-chic leather and towering platform boots (Credit: Stefan Trautmann / WENN)
Their Early Relationship Was Plagued by Controversy
Alongside going public with their relationship, Wood appeared as Manson’s love interest in the “Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)” music video and stirred up a bit of controversy primarily due to the graphic nature of the video.
“It’s nothing like I thought it was going to be,” Wood said about the music video in the film Phoenix Rising. It was filmed when she was 19.
“We’re doing things that were not what was pitched to me. … We had discussed a simulated sex scene, but once the cameras were rolling, he started penetrating me for real. I had never agreed to that. I’m a professional actress, I’ve been doing this my whole life; I’ve never been on a set that unprofessional in my life up until this day.”
“It was complete chaos,” she added about the “Heart-Shaped Glasses” music video. “I did not feel safe. No one was looking after me. It was a really traumatizing experience filming the video. I didn’t know how to advocate for myself or know how to say no because I had been conditioned and trained to never talk back, to just soldier through.”
“I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretences. That’s when the first crime was committed against me and I was essentially raped on camera.”
Manson’s lawyer, Howard King, denied her claims in a statement to The Guardian: “Of all the false claims that Evan Rachel Wood has made about Brian Warner, her imaginative retelling of the making of the Heart-Shaped Glasses music video 15 years ago is the most brazen and easiest to disprove, because there were multiple witnesses.
Evan Rachel Wood decorated her low bun with fresh flowers at the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: Sara De Boer / Startraksphoto)
When the Curtain Dropped: The Dark Truth Behind the Glamour
Wood received endless amounts of hate from the general public, but the worst abuse came from the hands of her partner, Marilyn Manson. From the outside, their relationship seemed perfect (if not strange), as Wood described it to Elle as “healthy” and “loving.”
It wasn’t until a brief breakup and quick reconciliation in 2008 that red flags began to pop up.
In an interview with Spin magazine, Manson detailed the abusive, manipulative tactics he employed to “save” their relationship: “… every time I called her that day — I called 158 times — I took a razorblade and I cut myself on my face or on my hands. This was intentional, this was a scarification, and this was like a tattoo. I wanted to show her the pain she put me through… the song “I Want to Kill You Like They Do in The Movies” is about my fantasies. I have fantasies every day about smashing her skull in with a sledgehammer.”
Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood step out in coordinating edgy-glam looks, with Evan turning heads in a metallic brocade pencil skirt, black sleeveless blouse, and classic black stilettos, while Manson sticks to his signature style in head-to-toe black leather (Credit: O’Neill / White / INFphoto)
Unfortunately, no one seemed to call him out on it. Manson and Wood reconciled and became engaged in January 2010 but called it quits for good after just eight short months.
Evan Rachel Wood Comes Forward About the Incessant Abuse
In 2018, she testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee, sharing the tale of her horrific abuse to help pass the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, bravely saying, “My experience with domestic violence was this: Toxic mental, physical and sexual abuse which started slow but escalated over time, including threats against my life, severe gaslighting and brainwashing, waking up to the man that claimed to love me raping what he believed to be my unconscious body. And the worst part: Sick rituals of binding me up by my hands and feet to be mentally and physically tortured until my abuser felt I had proven my love for them.”
Evan Rachel Wood wears a black APM Monaco mono dragon tail sliding ear jacket and Melinda Maria earrings (Credit: Sara De Boer / startraksphoto)
She continued to speak publicly about her experiences. Still, it wasn’t until 2021 that she explicitly named Marilyn Manson as an abuser, writing in an Instagram post: “The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson. He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. 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.”
In the Phoenix Rising documentary, fans saw tweets from Dan Cleary, Manson’s former personal assistant, who wrote: “He broke her. I didn’t totally realize until later in life. But as I see so many people defending him and calling his accusers liars, I’ve just had enough. Believe them, I saw it.”
Evan Rachel Wood’s claims of Manson’s abuse are detailed and heart-wrenching, including allegations that he hit her with a whip used by a Nazi during the Holocaust, forcing her to drink his blood (and to let him drink hers), and even delivering electric shocks to her genitals.
Evan Rachel Wood in a black beaded Versace dress and Christina Louboutin ‘So Kate’ pumps for the Premiere Of HBO’s “Westworld” Season 3 held at TCL Chinese Theatre on March 5, 2020 in Hollywood, California (Credit: Sara De Boer / Startraksphoto)
After the Trauma: Silence, Legal Threats, and a Divided Response
In another account in the documentary, Wood shares that she made the difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy in 2011 — since Manson refused to wear condoms — only to be met with more abuse: “He flew out for the abortion. I was just so scared and sad. I obviously believe in a woman’s right to choose, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t devastating…The second it was over [he] was like, ‘Make me dinner.’ And I remember being like, ‘I’m supposed to be resting — my body has gone through this trauma, there’s aftermath here.’ And he didn’t care.”
Despite support from fans and other abuse survivors, Evan Rachel Wood’s bravery has been met with lawsuits from Marilyn Manson’s team.
Dita Von Teese has defended her ex-husband, Marilyn Manson, in the face of abuse claims. In February 2021, Dita Von Teese opened up on Instagram about her experience with Marilyn Manson, with whom she was married for about a year in the early 2000s.
Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese bring dramatic flair to the red carpet, with Manson in a striking gold blazer and chunky loafers, while Dita stuns in a sculpted taupe cocktail dress paired with black satin peep-toe heels and her signature retro waves in New York City (Credit: Dara Kushner / INFGoff)
The burlesque dancer and designer first thanked “those who have expressed your concerns of my well-being; I appreciate your kindness” before clarifying that her experience with the American singer-songwriter differed greatly from Evan Rachel Wood‘s.
“Please know that the details made public do not match my personal experience during our seven years together as a couple,” Dita wrote. “Had they, I would not have married him in December 2005. I left 12 months later due to infidelity and drug abuse.”
Dita concluded, “Abuse of any kind has no place in any relationship. I urge those of you who have incurred abuse to take steps to heal and the strength to fully realize yourself.”
Marilyn Manson and his girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood leaving the opening of his exhibition at Brigitte Schenk Gallery in Cologne on June 27, 2007 (Credit: WENN)
Several women have stepped forward to share their Marilyn Manson abuse stories. CAA has dropped him, the talent agency known as Creative Artists Agency, and an FBI investigation into the sexual and emotional abuse allegations against Marilyn Manson has been requested by California State Senator Susan Rubio.
Evan Rachel Wood channels old Hollywood glam in a red satin skirt, tailored black blazer, and leather gloves, while Marilyn Manson embraces his signature gothic edge in a skull-print tee and long leather coat at his album listening party (Credit: WENN)
Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, issued a denial on Instagram. “Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality,” he said.
“My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misinterpret the past, that is the truth.”
Rose McGowan Stands With Evan Rachel Wood and Other Survivors
Rose McGowan, who was engaged to Marilyn for two years until their relationship ended in 2001, also spoke out in support of Evan Rachel Wood.
“My statement: I am profoundly sorry to those who have suffered the abuse & mental torture of Marilyn Manson. When I say Hollywood is a cult, I mean the Entertainment industry including the music industry is a cult. Cults protect the rot at the top. Theirs is a sickness that must be stopped. The industrial fame complex chooses who they protect & who they’ll let be their victims. For profit.” the 41-year-old former Charmed actress said in an Instagram post.
Rose continued, “I stand with Evan Rachel Wood and all of those who have or will come forward. And please don’t pull out the ‘why did they take so much time to come forward?’ question that shames victims/survivors, it’s what stops others from coming forward. And to all of those who have covered for monsters, shame on you. Rise and say no more.”
Marilyn Manson and Rose McGowan deliver one of the most daring red carpet moments in history, with Manson in a bold leopard-print suit with a red faux fur collar and McGowan making headlines in a barely-there chainmail-style mesh dress and strappy stilettos (Credit: WENN)
In January 2025, it was reported that Marilyn Manson would not face any charges following a lengthy investigation into allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said that charges would not be faced due to a lack of conclusive evidence and the statute of limitations.
After years of public scrutiny and personal challenges, Evan Rachel Wood began reclaiming her narrative through activism and bold fashion statements. Her style journey reflected her strength, blending elegance with edgy, rebellious flair. One memorable moment that marked this transformation came in early 2014.
From Survivor to Style Icon: Evan Rachel Wood’s Red Carpet Evolution
Evan Rachel Wood sweeps her hair to one side as she attends Art of Elysium’s seventh annual Heaven Gala held on January 11, 2014, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
In January 2014, Evan Rachel Wood made a dramatic entrance at Art of Elysium’s seventh annual Heaven Gala as she debuted her cool new rocker look.
At 26, she went theatrical in a Moschino Cheap and Chic outfit, which included a shimmery ruby blazer and black cigarette pants.
Evan styled it with a white shirt, black leather fingerless gloves, smoky eyes, glossy pink lips, an embellished clutch from Rodo, and earrings from Anito Ko.
She swept her short hair to one side and styled it in retro-glam waves, finishing her look with black patent leather Christian Louboutin “Zazou” brogues.
Evan Rachel Wood’s feet in black patent leather Christian Louboutin brogues (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
The “Zazou” brogues from Christian Louboutin feature stacked heels, pointed toes, lace-up fronts, and signature red leather soles.
They are available in leopard print and black patent leather at Nordstrom and Mytheresa.
Christian Louboutin “Zazou” Brogues in Black Patent Leather, $795
Christian Louboutin “Zazou” Brogues in Leopard Print, $854