Known for her on-screen work in titles such as “Westworld,” “Across the Universe,” and “Thirteen,” Evan Rachel Wood takes audiences behind the scenes of her life in “Phoenix Rising,” a look inside the actress’ efforts to reclaim her story and effect change. “I’m here today to talk about Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” she says in a new trailer for the Amy Berg doc. Wood was just 18 years old when she met the controversial 37-year-old rockstar. They dated for four years, during which she experienced escalating emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. “He studied how to manipulate people. He groomed her. He’s a predator,” Wood’s mother, Sara, emphasizes.
When Wood started to share her story publicly, she learned that Warner had abused other women. They reached out to her and shared their own harrowing accounts. But the women were unable to take legal recourse — they were outside of the statute of limitations. “Statistically a lot of victims take seven to 10 years to even recognize that they were a victim of this abuse,” we’re told.
Almost a decade after escaping her abuser, Wood co-authored and lobbied for the passage of The Phoenix Act, legislation that extends the statute of limitations for domestic violence cases in California. “I became an activist fighting for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault,” she explains. “I realized that this is the first time that I haven’t been doubted, or questioned, or shamed — this is the first time that someone was really listening.”
Berg received an Oscar nod in 2007 for “Deliver Us From Evil,” an investigation into how the Catholic church tried to cover up the crimes of a predatory priest. Her other credits include “West of Memphis,” “An Open Secret,” and “Janis: Little Girl Blue.”
“Phoenix Rising” debuts March 15 on HBO. The network is “building a robust national impact campaign to amplify key issues that are central to the documentary,” per a press release. “HBO is partnering with non-profit organizations, including RAINN, to help empower, educate, and provide resources and action opportunities for all audiences.”
