Evan Rachel Wood handed over primary custody of her son to Jamie Bell

In January 2021, Evan Rachel Wood named Marilyn Manson as her abuser. Before then, ERW had spoken and written about the abuse she suffered from a boyfriend, including intimate-partner violence and rape. Once ERW named Manson, she spoke and wrote in more detail, including the threats he made to release photos and videos he took of her where she was drugged and worse. After ERW named Manson, other victims came forward and told their stories, although at least one of them did recant her story (for what I imagine was a hefty payoff). There are several different avenues through which Manson’s victims are attempting to get justice and it’s all pretty complicated – Billboard has a pretty thorough timeline here, if you’re interested. Well, ERW has been dealing with the aftermath of Manson’s abuse for decades, but it’s ramped up significantly in the past two years. She moved out of LA with her son and there was a custody kerfuffle with Jamie Bell last year. Now it looks like Evan has agreed that Bell needs to have primary custody of their son and it’s all about Manson.

Evan Rachel Wood has ‘handed over primary custody of her son’ to ex Jamie Bell due to fears she could be putting her child in danger by residing with him – after ex Marilyn Manson made alleged threats against the child, reports The Blast. According to legal documents obtained by the publication, the actress, 35, has agreed for son Jack, 9, to ‘primarily’ live with Bell, 36, in Los Angeles. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and has previously been fighting to keep her son out of LA.

In the filing, Wood and Bell have agreed their son will ‘primarily live with (him) in Los Angeles, (Wood) shall have custody of Jack one (1) extended weekend per month from Friday, after school or 10:00 a.m.’ Wood will also have custody of Jack for holidays such as Spring Break.

In July 2022, Bell claimed the pair had shared ‘equal custody of Jack for seven years before Wood began keeping Jack from him’ – a claim she denied. Sources tell the publication Wood is ‘extremely afraid of putting her son in danger’ – 17 months after she claimed in a court declaration Manson, 54, told her he would ‘f**k’ her then eight-year-old son – Manson denied the claim.

Manson has faced claims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. More than a dozen women, including Wood, accuse him of abuse – accusations Manson has denied.

Wood has allegedly spoken of her fears of retaliation from the singer, saying in custody court: ‘I am a key witness in a pending criminal investigation. In connection with the investigation, I allege that I was the victim of torture, rape, and pedophilic grooming by an intentionally known public figure. I am extremely afraid of the alleged offender. I have suffered a severe, traumatic physical and emotional injury at his hands, and I am afraid that he will seek retribution against me for testifying by harming me, our son, and members of our family.’

It was also claimed that Wood alleges she was told ‘directly by investigators’ that her family’s safety was at risk.

Bell is said to have filed documents with the court claiming Wood was ‘keeping their son from him’, that it ‘shouldn’t matter what was going on with Manson’ and that the pair should share custody of their son in LA. He wrote: ‘Whatever fears Evan may have regarding third parties should have nothing to do with me or custody of our son. I do not even want to think of the short- and long-term psychological harm Evan might be inflicting upon Jack with this kind of talk and my prolonged separation from him.’

Wood responded, denying she had kept Jack from Bell and expressed her ‘real and deep concerns’ regarding her and Jack’s safety should the pair reside in LA. The new custody arrangement was signed and filed with the LA County Courts.

[From The Daily Mail]

I feel sorry for both Evan and Jamie, and their kid too. I can totally understand how Evan thought she was doing the right thing by getting the hell out of LA and out of Manson’s immediate zone. But I also agree that Evan probably violated whatever custodial agreement was already in place with Jamie. It’s horrible that it’s come to this, where Jamie will be the primary custodial parent while Evan is still dealing with all of this bullsh-t from Manson. Don’t forget, Manson is SUING Evan too, because she spoke out about what he did to her.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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51 Responses to “Evan Rachel Wood handed over primary custody of her son to Jamie Bell”

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  1. Trillion says:

    I didn’t know Manson was suing. I bet he has the same OTT PR machine/Lawyer team as Depp.

  2. girl_ninja says:

    I feel bad for Evan, Jamie and their son too. I get why Evan wants to protect her son from Brian Warner and his horrible violent ways. But she definitely has to consider Jamie and the rule of law regarding custody. I believe Jamie will take care of himself and his family. I hope that Evan is getting the therapy that she needs because of what Brian is putting her through.

    Brian needs to go down, and go down hard.

    • BQM says:

      Evan and Jamie had always been friendly so hopefully they can quickly put this behind them and resume their previously amicable coparenting. And eff Manson.

    • mary mary says:

      I mean, Jamie *is* married to Kate Mara, so I bet her family can (and most likely will?) help them get as much protection as they need, no?

      • dj says:

        That was my thought as well. I am sure Kate Mara thinks come after that little boy with me and my husband (Jamie Bell) I think she might have deeper pockets for protection.

  3. Jessica says:

    I met Marilyn Manson after a concert in 1994. He was very clearly trying to pick up my then 17 year old friend.

    • tealily says:

      He’s so gross. I saw him at a festival a couple of years ago and it was hands-down the worst set I’ve ever seen. He went offstage and the stage went black for at least a full minute between every single song, forgot lyrics, etc. The guy’s a total mess.

  4. Paleokifaru says:

    Just want to note the header should read “their” son instead of “her” son.

    • BeanieBean says:

      Gotta say, I was confused by that. I thought for a minute that the kid was hers & her abuser’s, hence her needing someone else to take care of him. But this is even worse, really. What a terrible situation.

  5. Lala11_7 says:

    To me…Evan has gotten VERY LITTLE SUPPORT…and that’s one of the MOST tragic things about this ongoing horror show perpetrated by this society when it comes to Women fighting against abuse from monstrous males☹️

  6. AnneL says:

    What a horrible situation for all of them. I can’t even begin to imagine what Evan has suffered and how it still must haunt her. Is Manson just walking free right now? Have there been any consequences for his abuse of this young woman, who was a child when he began to prey on her?

    I hope she is healing and that her son is OK. It seems like she and Jamie both want what is best for him. What a shame that it had to come to this.

  7. HeyKay says:

    #1. Get the kids and yourself safe.
    #2. Get away from MM and stay away.
    #3. Lawyers, Police, restraining orders, everything else needed.

    • Ravensdaughter says:

      #3: It’s a long road in the courts. I’m confused: is it a criminal or civil proceeding? MM couldn’t countersue in a criminal proceeding, although it could be a separate civil suit.

      So, if it’s a criminal proceeding, discovery (gathering evidence) could take a long time, the standard of proof being so high. ERW is going to have to be strong and brave and gather her support around her because we all know how rape victims are treated in the criminal justice system. She will have to testify, and that will be harrowing.

      Not so great in civil court; see E. Jean Carroll and Trump. E. Jean could file another suit against him, BTW, since he has defamed her since the judgment.

      • BeanieBean says:

        I think E. Jean Carroll asked the judge to add additional $$ to the damages she’s supposed to receive (we’ll see if trump ever hands it over) for his continuing defamation of her. Rather than filing additional claims. I think.

  8. TIFFANY says:

    This is just a sad situation all around for everyone involved. I just feel once Evan got that threat about Jack, she has tunnel vision in keeping him safe from literally everyone, including Jamie. I also get why Jamie went through the courts and I hope this will be used for Evan’s lawsuit to show just how awful Manson is and a legit menace to society.

  9. GorgeousGecko says:

    I support 100% her journey through this mess with Manson. But I also fear there may be something else re: her custody with Jamie and the decisions she’s made within that. It sucks all around.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      Yeah i thought that as well that there was something else other than Manson. Hopefully she’s ok.

    • AnneL says:

      I hope she is not in too bad a state and is getting help. She has suffered a lot and the lingering impact must be devastating. I am glad they were able to work it out so she can spend time with their son, but also glad that this arrangement gives her time and space to work on healing herself.

  10. Kokiri says:

    “Why don’t women speak up & report to the police?!”

    Because we lose EVERYTHING. EVERY TIME.

    There’s no “justice “. Laws made by men, enforced by men, to protect men.

    My heart aches for her & her son.

  11. M says:

    I remember when he groomed her to be Dita’s “replacement.” It was so gross, and I wish people had stepped in to help her then. I hate that she has to be separated from her son.

  12. Nanny to the Rescue says:

    I don’t understand this.

    If MM is threatening ERW with hurting her son, shouldn’t the boy stay with her? Staying with JB brings him in closer proximity of Manson.

    • EM says:

      The court determined that it was in the best interests of the child for him to stay with his dad in LA. I’m sure the threats were a factor, but the court is always going to favor the status quo to the extent possible: maintaining his existing school and friends and his relationship with his father. It’s always an uphill battle to get permission to move a kid from the jurisdiction where the custody arraignment was established.

      • Nanny to the Rescue says:

        But the boy was already uprooted by her? Yeah she shouldn’t have done it, legally speaking, but it was in his best interest, if he is in danger in LA. Dunno what MM threatened, but I can imagine he won’t stop threatening if she’s away from her son. Even worse, now the boy is out of her protection and it seems like JB isn’t taking this as seriously as he should.

    • tealily says:

      Jamie didn’t do anything, though, and he still has the right to see his child. If she isn’t providing equal visits with him, this court ruling makes sense. Maybe they thought if he was in L.A. but not with her, there would be less of a chance of Warner getting to him?

      • teecee says:

        Jamie’s part of the billionaire Mara family. There is literally no location where he could not see his child easily fairly often. His actions are punitive and cruel, and some of his statements show that he doesn’t believe that Manson is a real threat. I hope he rots…

      • ThatsNotOkay says:

        @teecee You need to reserve judgment against Jamie. Not gonna go into specifics, but ERW is likely doing the right thing here. There’s a lot more to the ERW/Jamie Bell story.

    • BQM says:

      If you google some of the articles about the custody battle you can read how Evan basically lives in a compound in the woods. It’s pretty isolating and the court probably felt it detrimental to their son’s emotional well being. It’s sad she feels she has no choice but to live like that.

    • Cletly says:

      I don’t know if it plays a part but Kate Mara is extremely wealthy so I guess not only Jamie’s household has the means to get him protection but they also are a « better » family structure for a young 9yo boy.

      I hope ERW will get the help she needs to deal with all of this.

  13. AnneB says:

    My god 🙁 I’m so sorry. I hope she has enough support and protection to fight this and survive this and to reunite with her child. It sounds horrific. I hope “the Internet” support her too

  14. GrnieWnie says:

    Jamie is right that it shouldn’t matter what is going on between ERW and MM when it comes to his parental rights, but I hope he’s aware that it does matter in terms of his son’s safety…and that he takes precautions.

  15. Robert Phillips says:

    I’m sorry but this doesn’t really make sense. Does Jamie Bell not care about the safety of his child? That is basically what she is saying. If there was proof that her child had been threatened then it looks like Jamie would want to keep the child away. I am not saying Manson didn’t abuse her. But again this doesn’t make sense. There has to be more to this story that we aren’t getting.

    • Jane says:

      IIRC from previous reports on this, Jamie hasn’t been very supportive of Evan throughout this process. This may be because of Jack, or it may be because of other reasons (perhaps he doesn’t believe her?). Or it may be simply that he doesn’t want to get himself, Kate Mara, and their two babies mixed up in what is clearly a really horrible and traumatising situation.

  16. j.ferber says:

    Well, this is deporable. When will this poor woman get her life back?

  17. AC says:

    It’s sad overall. I still remembered when Jaimie and Evan were still together years ago. And many of us agreed back then that Jaimie adored her and was probably very heartbroken when their marriage didn’t work out . It’s good he’s found his happiness with Kate Mara. For Evan , I really feel sorry for her- her ordeal with MM and having to lose primary custody of her child to protect him , it’s painful to hear.

  18. allie says:

    I love Evan, she is by far my favorite actress. MM is a POS, and I believe he did threat her son. She has been very succesful, I adored her in Westworld.
    ERW is giving me Amber vibes, we already know how Amber was bullied by JD nasty fans.
    It saddens me that women even though famous are not believed neither powerful like men.
    I do hope she gets her son back and wins this mess.

  19. Calamityschild says:

    I just want to say, that my marriage was horrible mainly because of all the psychological torture in addition to the constant fear of physical violence. My ex-husband loved Marilyn Manson when we were in junior high and high school. He read his book, long, hard Road out of hell. After watching Phoenix on HBO, I realized where my ex-husband got his playbook. In regards to Evan not feeling safe even in Tennessee, I have to say that Manson probably has a loyal army of fans who are more than willing to a cost her and her son at his request. I can imagine that she doesn’t want her son to have to be accosted like that And I have to hear horrible things about his mother. As far as Manson’s threat towards the child, I fully believe he would say that.

  20. MMERWfan says:

    I am a fan of both MM and ERW. I feel for her because I believe she is mentally ill and mixed with drug abuse really messed her up. MM should have never messed with such a young person. Nobody before her accused him of abuse. I hope she gets the help she needs and has a lot of support.

    • Bee says:

      Wow. She is not the only one to say he is abusive. If she’s the first that just means she’s brave. And, as a fan, surely you’ve seen him present himself as such in his “art.”

    • Keaton says:

      Perhaps she’s struggling with mental illness because of the abuse she’s suffered from MM. Or perhaps (like many predators) MM targeted her because she suffers from mental health problems and is vulnerable.
      I’m much less likely to dismiss or downplay abuse accusations from folks who are mentally ill than I was in the past tbh.

    • MoonTheLoon says:

      How long have you been paying attention to Manson/Brian? There have been rumours for ages AND he admitted to doing some pretty heinous things in his autobiography. I was a fan up until the 2010’s. I had zero doubt he abused the women who have come forward and that’s part of what cemented me losing interest.

  21. Serena says:

    Of course he is suing ERW, that os textbook abuse and his froend Johnny Depp knows something about it.

  22. Keaton says:

    My heart aches for Evan. She’s being psychologically tortured by MM (and I’m sure his “team”).
    I hope Jaime has assured her that their son will be safe with him and that provides her with some consolation. This is such an awful situation for her and her son.
    Really hoping she and Jaime can get back to sharing custody and their little boy has plenty of access to both parents. Fingers crossed that abuser SOB Brian Warner is out of their lives soon.

  23. Myeh says:

    Why is it that our legal system punishes victims and those who are most vulnerable while rewarding privileged people with deep pockets? 🤔 It’s almost as if the price tag of justice is too steep for women, poc and other marginalized groups.