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Evan Rachel Wood: People Were “Pretty Mean” About My Marilyn Manson Romance

Evan Rachel Wood and Marilyn Manson on September 10, 2007 in Toronto
Evan Rachel Wood says people were "pretty mean" to her about her past four-year romance with rocker Marilyn Manson, who is 17 years her senior. "People go through phases. People make mistakes," she explains of her former fiance.

Just a phase? Evan Rachel Wood is now a married, 26-year-old mother of one, but just three years ago she was in the midst of a controversial relationship with goth rocker Marilyn Manson. In a new interview with The Daily Beast, the actress, now married to actor Jamie Bell, opens up about her past four-year romance with Manson, whom she began dating in 2006 when she was 19-years-old and he was 36.

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"People were pretty mean," Wood recalled. "At the time I hadn't yet been exposed to that kind of cruelty from strangers." She explained, "If people were wondering why I was acting so-called crazy or like a teenager, it's because I was. People go through phases. People make mistakes. People go through life and don't get it right every time."

Wood and Manson had an on-again, off-again relationship. In January 2010, the singer proposed on stage in Paris, but the couple broke off their engagement later that year.

Related: PHOTOS: See at what age stars got engaged

Due to that time in her life, the Golden Globe-nominated Mildred Pierce actress said she can relate to younger Hollywood stars like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, who've dealt with mega-fame and scrutiny at extremely tender ages. "I was never a Bieber or a Cyrus, but I think the judgment was there, sure," she said. Wood, a well-known Bieber fan, added, "I can't imagine what it's like to be him. When you're a teenager in an adult career, people expect you to be perfect and expect you to never make mistakes or to be a reckless teenager. And then when you are, they give you such a really hard time for it. You have to remind them that you're still a kid."

Related: PHOTOS: Young Hollywood moms

After ending her romance with Manson, Wood reunited with ex Bell, whom she previously dated for a year after meeting in 2005. The actors married in October 2012, and welcomed their first child, a baby boy, in July 2013. Wood has since kept her son's name a secret in hopes of giving him a life out of the spotlight.

"People obviously know I was pregnant — can't hide that — so I have no problem talking about the baby and that we're doing really well," the new mom explained to The Daily Beast. "But I haven't released his name. I've done my best to keep his picture from being taken, just because kids don't really have a choice in the matter. It's such a shame when kids get harassed just because of who their parents are before they're old enough to decide who they are or who they want to be."

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