Phoenix Rising

PHOENIX RISING delves behind familiar headlines and explores the often-misunderstood aspects of domestic abuse, helping to shed light on the many factors that prevent survivors from coming forward with their stories as they deal with years of aftershocks and emotional trauma. At age 18, Wood was pursued by then 37-year-old Brian Warner, known to the world as the rock icon Marilyn Manson. In sway to his status, image and persuasive personality, she began a relationship with him that spanned over four years. As the relationship progressed, Wood went from a teenager flattered by his attention, to a young woman terrified of the man who claimed to love her, and she experienced escalating emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Looking back, she recognized a pattern of grooming and control tactics similar to those experienced by other survivors who told their stories of harrowing experiences at the hands of Warner. Connecting the dots between the progression of her relationship with Warner and phases of the clinical domestic violence cycle, Wood successfully lobbied for The Phoenix Act, which was signed into California State Law in 2019, extending the statute of limitations for domestic violence felonies from three years to five years.