A Los Angeles judge revived a sexual abuse lawsuit against American musician Marilyn Manson, reopening a case that had been dismissed last month and clearing the way for it to move toward trial.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steve Cochran granted a motion for reconsideration filed by Ashley Walters, a former assistant to the musician, whose real name is Brian Warner, Deadline reported.
The ruling vacated a December 2025 dismissal and reversed an earlier summary judgment that had ended the case.
"The Motion for Reconsideration filed by ASHLEY WALTERS on 01/07/2026 is Granted," Cochran wrote after a hearing in downtown Los Angeles. "Statute revives the claim. The Court orders the dismissal ordered on 12/16/2025 as to the entire action set aside and vacated. The Court vacates its previous order granting the summary judgment."
The decision was made possible by Assembly Bill 250, a new California law that extends the window for adults to revive sexual assault claims that were previously blocked by statutes of limitation.
Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, the law took effect earlier this month and applies to claims that expired before Jan. 1.
Walters filed her lawsuit in 2021, alleging she was sexually harassed, sexually abused, subjected to sexual battery, and wrongfully terminated while working for Warner in 2010 and 2011. Warner has denied all allegations.
In early 2025, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office announced it would not pursue criminal charges related to sexual abuse claims against him.
The civil case has been dismissed and reinstated multiple times. Cochran first tossed the lawsuit in May 2022, ruling that the complaint lacked sufficient factual detail.
An appellate court later revived the case, but Cochran dismissed it again on Dec. 16, 2025 finding that Walters waited too long to file.
"We have a situation where the complaint was not filed until about 10 years after the operative events," Cochran said at the time. He added: "I don't have the authority to rule that the delayed discovery doctrine would apply under the circumstances that exist in this case."
AB 250 changed that legal framework, allowing courts to revive certain expired claims. Walters' attorneys moved quickly to seek reconsideration under the new statute.
"We are thrilled for Ms. Walters," attorney Bina Ahmad said after Monday's hearing. "She has never given up fighting for justice."
Ahmad said Walters' legal team "look forward to continuing the fight for Ms. Walters until Mr. Warner finally answers for his abuse," adding, "She has had to overcome a lot of obstacles, as so many survivors are forced to do. Mr. Warner has tried time and again to avoid accountability for his abuse against Ms. Walters. But now, thanks to AB 250, abusers like Mr. Warner can no longer hide behind the statute of limitations."
In comments reported by The Guardian, Warner's attorney, Howard King, said the lawsuit would fail.
"While Ms Walters made several now-irrelevant claims about so-called workplace harassment, she has no pending claims for sexual assault as defined in the penal code, as would be required under the new law, nor is she permitted under the ruling to add new claims," King said in a statement Tuesday.
Cochran set a case management conference for March 27. A trial date has not been scheduled and would proceed unless the case is resolved earlier.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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