Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally asMarilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of thesame-titled band he founded in 1989. The band members initially created their stage names by combining the first name of an American femalesex symbol with the last name of a maleserial killer. The singer derived his name from the actressMarilyn Monroe and cult leaderCharles Manson.
Manson is widely considered one of the most controversial figures inheavy metal. In addition to the Columbine tragedy, his lyrics have been criticized by American politicians and examined incongressional hearings, with several U.S. states creating legislation specifically banning the group from performing in state-operated venues. His paintings and films appeared as evidence in amurder trial, and he has been accused of inspiring several other murders and school shootings. Outside of music, he made his film debut as an actor inDavid Lynch'sLost Highway (1997), and has since appeared in a variety of minor roles and cameos. In 2002, his first art show,The Golden Age of Grotesque, was held at theLos Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions center.
In 2021, former partnerEvan Rachel Wood accused Manson of psychological and sexual abuse, allegations which Manson denied. Other women followed with similar accusations, with five women suing him in civil court. One of these lawsuits was withdrawn after the accuser recanted her allegations and alleged Wood pressured her to accuse Manson. He sued Wood for defamation, but later dropped the lawsuit after substantial portions of the suit were dismissed by Wood'santi-SLAPP motions, agreeing to pay her legal fees. A four-year criminal investigation of the abuse allegations by theLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department concluded in 2025, which resulted in no charges filed against Manson due to the expiration of thestatute of limitations and a lack of evidence.
Early life
Brian Hugh Warner was born inCanton, Ohio, on January 5, 1969,[1] the son of Barbara J. Wyer (died 2014)[2] and Hugh Angus Warner (died 2017).[3][4] He is of English, German, Irish, and Polish descent,[5][6] and has also said that his mother's family (who hailed from theAppalachian Mountains inWest Virginia) hadSioux heritage.[7]
As a child, he attended his mother'sEpiscopal church, though his father was aCatholic.[8][9] He attendedHeritage Christian School from first to tenth grade. In that school, his instructors tried to show children what music they were not supposed to listen to; he thus fell in love with what he "wasn't supposed to".[citation needed] He later transferred toGlenOak High School and graduated in 1987.[citation needed]
The band was formed in 1989 by Warner and guitaristScott Putesky,[12][13] with Warner writing lyrics and Putesky composing the majority of music.[14] Warner adopted the stage name Marilyn Manson and, alongside a revolving lineup of musicians, recorded the band's first demo tape asMarilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids in 1990.[15][16] The group quickly developed a loyalfanbase within theSouth Florida punk and hardcore music scene, primarily as a result of their intentionallyshocking concerts; band members often performed in women's clothing or bizarre costumes, and live shows routinely featured amateurpyrotechnics, naked women nailed tocrucifixes, children locked in cages,[17][18] as well as experiments inreverse psychology and butchered animals remains.[N 1] Within six months of forming, they were playing sold-out shows in 300-capacity nightclubs throughout Florida.[20] They signed arecord deal withSony Music in early 1991, although this deal was rescinded before any material was recorded for the label. The band instead used the proceeds of this deal to fund the recording of subsequent demo tapes, which were released independently.[21]
Left to right: Twiggy, Gacy and Manson performing at the "A Night of Nothing" industry showcase, 1995
For 1998'sMechanical Animals, Manson said he took inspiration from 1970sglam rock, and adopted a wardrobe and hairstyle similar toDavid Bowie.[36] He said he did this to avoid being portrayed as a "boogeyman", a role which had been ascribed to him by mainstream media following the band's commercial breakthrough.[29] Interscope's promotion of the album was massive,[37] with the label erecting enormous billboards of Manson as anandrogynousextraterrestrial inTimes Square and theSunset Strip.[36] Lead single "The Dope Show" was nominated forBest Hard Rock Performance at the41st Annual Grammy Awards.[38] The album debuted at number one on theBillboard 200,[39] but was thelowest-selling number-one album of 1998 in the United States,[40] with sales of 1.4 million copies in the country as of 2017.[41] The album was not well received by longtime fans, who complained about its radio-friendly sound and accused the vocalist of "selling out",[42] and Interscope were reportedly disappointed with its commercial performance.[N 3]
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) was a return to the band'sindustrial metal roots after the glam-influencedMechanical Animals,[44] and was the vocalist's response to media coverage blaming him for influencingthe perpetrators of theColumbine High School massacre. The album was a critical success, with numerous publications praising it as the band's finest work.[45] Despite being certified gold in the United States for shipments in excess of half a million units,[46] mainstream media openly questioned the band's commercial appeal, noting the dominance ofnu metal and controversialhip hop artists such asEminem.[47][48] A cover of "Tainted Love" was an international hit in 2002, peaking at number one in several territories.[49]
The Golden Age of Grotesque was released the following year, an album primarily inspired by theswing andburlesque movements of1920s Berlin.[50] In anextended metaphor found throughout the record, Manson compared his own often-criticized work to theEntartete Kunst banned by theNazi regime.[51] LikeMechanical Animals in 1998,The Golden Age of Grotesque debuted at number one on theBillboard 200,[30] but was the lowest-selling studio album to debut at number one that year, selling 527,000 copies in the United States as of 2008.[40] The album was more successful in Europe, where it sold over 400,000 on its first week of release to debut at number one onBillboard'sEuropean Top 100 Albums.[52] Manson began his collaboration with French fashion designerJean-Paul Gaultier during this period, who designed much of the elaborate attire worn by the band on the supporting "Grotesk Burlesk Tour".[53] Thegreatest hits compilationLest We Forget: The Best Of was released in 2004.[54]
"He's very savvy in that he lets people think things about him or plays into things to see what will happen, almost like a performance artist. He's avisionary in a way, because he identified a culture that was coming and now that culture is everywhere."
After a three-year hiatus, in which the vocalist pursued other interests,[56] the band returned with 2007'sEat Me, Drink Me. The album's lyrical content largely related to the dissolution of Manson's marriage toDita Von Teese and his affair with 19-year-old actressEvan Rachel Wood.[57] Seventh studio albumThe High End of Low was released in 2009, and was their final album issued by Interscope. While promoting the record, Manson made a series of disparaging comments about the label and its artistic censorship, as well as its presidentJimmy Iovine.[58] Manson signed a lucrative recording contract with British independent record labelCooking Vinyl in 2011, with the band and label sharing profits equally after the label recouped costs associated with marketing, promotion and distribution.[59] The first album released under the deal was 2012'sBorn Villain.[60] Lead single "No Reflection" earned the band their fourth Grammy nomination.[38] Subsequent albums were released in the United States byLoma Vista Recordings, beginning with 2015'sThe Pale Emperor, which was widely seen as a return to form[61][62] and was a commercial success upon release.[63][64]
Manson announced in March 2024 that the band would embark on an arena and amphitheater tour of North America withFive Finger Death Punch.[74] The tour began on August 2, and was interspersed with Manson's own headlining shows.[75] The same day that the tour began, the band released "As Sick as the Secrets Within", their first new single in four years.[76] This was followed two weeks later by "Raise the Red Flag".[77] Music videos were released for both songs, each directed by Bill Yukich.[78][79] The band will perform their own headline shows in Europe in 2025.[80]
According toNielsen SoundScan, the band sold 8.7 million albums alone in the United States as of 2011.[59] Three of their albums received platinum awards from theRecording Industry Association of America, and a further three received gold certifications.[81] Ten of their releases debuted in the top ten of theBillboard 200, including two number-one albums.[73] In the United Kingdom, the band are certified for sales of almost 1.75 million units.[82] Marilyn Manson has sold over 50 million records worldwide.[83][84][85][86]
Musical collaborations
In addition to his work with the band, Manson has collaborated extensively with other musicians.[87]Cello rock actRasputina opened for the band throughout the "Dead to the World Tour", the controversial tour supportingAntichrist Superstar.[88] Lead vocalistMelora Creager performed cello and backing vocals for the band, most notably for renditions of "Apple of Sodom", a live version of which appeared as ab-side on Manson's 1998 single "The Dope Show".[89] Manson also created three remixes of the song "Transylvanian Concubine", two of which appeared on their 1997 EPTransylvanian Regurgitations.[90] Manson befriendedthe Smashing Pumpkins vocalistBilly Corgan in 1997,[91] and performed renditions of "Eye" and "The Beautiful People" alongside that band at the 1997 edition ofBridge School Benefit concert.[92] Manson frequently consulted Corgan during the early stages of recordingMechanical Animals. Referring to its inclusion of glam rock influences, Corgan advised Manson that "This is definitely the right direction" but to "go all the way with it. Don't just hint at it".[93] In 2015, Marilyn Manson and the Smashing Pumpkins embarked on aco-headlining tour titled "The End Times Tour".[94]
To promoteMechanical Animals in 1998, the band embarked on their first co-headlining concert tour: the "Beautiful Monsters Tour" withHole.[95] The tour was problematic,[96] with Manson and Hole vocalistCourtney Love frequently insulting one another both on-stage and during interviews.[97] Private disputes also arose over finances, as Hole were unwittingly financing most of Manson's production costs, which were disproportionately high relative to Hole's.[98] The tour was to consist of thirty-seven dates,[95] although Hole left after nine.[97] When Hole departed from the tour, it was renamed the "Rock Is Dead Tour", withJack Off Jill announced as one of the support acts.[99] Manson had produced many of Jack Off Jill's demo recordings in the early 90s, and later wrote theliner notes to their 2006 compilationHumid Teenage Mediocrity 1992–1996.[100][101]
Manson has collaborated with numerouship hop artists. In 1998, he featured on "The Omen (Damien II)", a track onDMX's albumFlesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood.[119][120] Following the Columbine High School massacre, Manson was mentioned in the lyrics toEminem's "The Way I Am" fromThe Marshall Mathers LP, in the lyric "When a dude's getting bullied and he shoots up the school and they blame it on Marilyn". Manson appeared in the song's music video, and a remix created byDanny Lohner and featuring Manson appeared on special editions ofThe Marshall Mathers LP. Manson also joined Eminem on-stage for several live performances of the track, one of which featured on Eminem's 2002 video albumAll Access Europe.[121] He featured on "Pussy Wet", a song onGucci Mane's 2013mixtapeDiary of a Trap God,[122] and provided vocals on the song "Marilyn Manson" on the 2020 mixtapeFloor Seats II byASAP Ferg.[123][124]
AlongsideDaBaby, Manson co-wrote and was a featured artist on "Jail pt 2", a song onKanye West's 2021 albumDonda.[125] Manson and DaBaby appeared alongside West - aka Ye - at several events promoting the album, including at a listening event held atSoldier Field in August, and at one of Ye's Sunday Church Services in October.[126][127] The appearances attracted significant media attention and controversy.[128] Ye said the trio collaborated on a total of five songs.[125] The album was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Rap Album, which entitled Manson to a co-nomination credit for his work on the song.[129][130] Manson continued his collaboration with Ye for the follow-up album,Donda 2.[131] Ye collaboratorDigital Nas said Manson was in the recording studio "every day" while the album was recorded, and explained that Ye "doesn't want Marilyn to play rap beats. He wants Marilyn to play what he makes, and then Ye will take parts of that and sample parts of that and use parts of that, like he did [generally when making]Yeezus."[132] Manson band-memberTim Skold has confirmed he was involved in the process.[133]
While with the Spooky Kids, Manson teamed withJeordie White (also known as Twiggy Ramirez) and Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. (also known asMadonna Wayne Gacy) in two side-projects: Satan on Fire, a faux-Christian metal ensemble where he played bass guitar, and drums in Mrs. Scabtree, a collaborative band formed with White and then girlfriendJessicka (vocalist with the bandJack Off Jill) as a way to combat contractual agreements that prohibited Marilyn Manson from playing in certain clubs.[citation needed]
He was interviewed inMichael Moore's political documentaryBowling for Columbine (2002) discussing possible motivations for theColumbine massacre and allegations that his music was somehow a factor.[citation needed] He has appeared in animated form inClone High and participated in several episodes of the MTV seriesCelebrity Deathmatch, becoming the show's unofficial champion and mascot; he often performed the voice for hisclaymated puppet, and contributed the song "Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes" to the soundtrack album.[citation needed] In July 2005, Manson toldRolling Stone that he was shifting his focus from music to filmmaking – "I just don't think the world is worth putting music into right now. I no longer want to make art that other people – particularly record companies – are turning into a product. I just want to make art."[citation needed]Johnny Depp reportedly used Manson as his inspiration for his performance asWilly Wonka in the filmCharlie and the Chocolate Factory.[137]
He had been working on his directorial debut,Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, a project that has been indevelopment hell since 2004, with Manson also set to portray the role ofLewis Carroll, author ofAlice's Adventures in Wonderland. Initially announced as a web-only release, it was later decided to give the estimated $4.2 million budget film a conventional cinema release, with a slated release date of mid-2007. The film was to have an original music soundtrack with previously unreleased songs.[138] Production of the film had been postponed indefinitely until after theEat Me, Drink Me tour.[139] In 2010, studio bosses shut down production on the project, reportedly due to viewers' responses to the violent content of clips released on the internet. The film was later officially put on "indefinite production hold".[140]
According to a 2010 interview with cowriter Anthony Silva about the hold, the film was still on and the talk of it being shut down was just a myth.[141]In a June 2013 interview, Manson stated that he had "resurrected" the project, and thatRoger Avary would direct it.[142] In a separate interview during the previous year, he said a small crew similar to what he used for his "Slo-Mo-Tion" music video would be used, and would rather film the movie on an iPhone than not film it at all. In aReddit AMA withBilly Corgan on April 4, 2015, Manson commented that he had withdrawn from the project because the writing process for the film was "so... damaging to my psyche, I've decided I don't want to have anything to do with it", and further commented that the only footage that had been created thus far had been content created for the trailer, which was made to promote the film.[143][144]
Manson appeared in the final season of the TV seriesSons of Anarchy, portraying white supremacist Ron Tully.[145] In January 2016, it was announced that Manson would be joining the cast for season 3 of WGN'sSalem. He played Thomas Dinley, a barber and surgeon described as "the go-to man in Salem, from a shave and a haircut to being leeched, bled, sliced open or sewn up".[146] In 2020, Manson was a guest star on the HBO television seriesThe New Pope, in which he has a personal audience with the series' Pope and recommends that he visit the prior Pope that lies unconscious in a coma.[147]
Art
Manson asMechanical Animals' antagonist/character "Omega"
Manson stated in a 2004 interview withi-D magazine to have begun his career as awatercolor painter in 1999 when he made five-minute concept pieces and sold them to drug dealers. On September 13–14, 2002, his first show, The Golden Age of Grotesque, was held at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions Centre.Art in America's Max Henry likened them to the works of a "psychiatric patient given materials to use astherapy" and said his work would never be taken seriously in a fine art context, writing that the value was "in their celebrity, not the work".[148] On September 14–15, 2004, Manson held a second exhibition on the first night in Paris and the second inBerlin. The show was named 'Trismegistus' which was also the title of the center piece of the exhibit – a large, three-headed Christ painted onto an antique wood panel from a portable embalmers table.
Manson named his self-proclaimedart movement Celebritarian Corporation. He has coined aslogan for the movement: "We will sell our shadow to those who stand within it." In 2005 he said that the Celebritarian Corporation has been "incubating for seven years" which if correct would indicate that Celebritarian Corporation, in some form, started in 1998.[149] Celebritarian Corporation is also the namesake of anart gallery owned by Manson, called theCelebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art in Los Angeles for which his third exhibition was the inaugural show. From April 2–17, 2007, his works were on show at the Space 39 Modern & Contemporary art gallery in Fort Myers, Florida. Forty pieces from this show traveled to Germany's Gallery Brigitte Schenk inCologne to be publicly exhibited from June 28 – July 28, 2007. Manson revealed a series of 20 paintings in 2010 entitledGenealogies of Pain, an exhibition showcased at Vienna's Kunsthalle gallery which the artist collaborated on withDavid Lynch.[150]
Video games
He's a master ofculture jamming, industry trolling and arcane songcraft who nonchalantly shrugs offcharacter assassination attempts, a glass ofabsinthe in his hand ... Last but certainly not least, Manson's got a whip-smart intellect and thegift of gab.
Hell, etc. was Manson's thirdart exhibition, held inAthens, Greece. The exhibition was open to the public from April 28, 2010, until May 2, 2010. Manson's more recent artworks and newly revealed pieces at the time, were displayed. The art exhibition was scheduled to run until April 25, 2010, however due to a volcanic ash cloud, it was postponed to run from April 28, 2010, until May 2, 2010.[152] The exhibition was held at the Athenian Cultural Centre. The exhibition opened at 10:00 daily and was open until 22:00. Flash photography was prohibited inside the exhibition, as the watercolor paintings were extremely sensitive to theflash.[153]
Other ventures
Manson launched "Mansinthe", his own brand of Swiss-madeabsinthe, which has received mixed reviews; some critics described the taste as being "just plain",[154] but it came second to Versinthe in an Absinthe top five[155] and won a gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.[156] Other reviewers, such as critics at The Wormwood Society, have given the absinthe moderately high praise.[157] In 2015, Manson stated he was no longer drinking absinthe.[158][159]
The name "Marilyn Manson" juxtaposesMarilyn Monroe and CharlesManson—a sex symbol and a mass murderer, respectively, both of whom became Americancultural icons.
The name Marilyn Manson is formed by a juxtaposition of two opposing Americanpop cultural icons:Marilyn Monroe andCharles Manson.[173] Monroe, an actress, was one of the most popularsex symbols of the 1950s and continues to be a major icon over 50 years after,[174] while Manson, a cult leader, was responsible forthe murder of actressSharon Tate, as well as several others; and served alife sentence on murder and conspiracy charges until his death in 2017.[175][176]
Manson was aculture war agitator forour side, someone willing to jar and frighten the fuck out of the power structures that seemed there to keep teenagers in their place ... and his tactics made him a target, both of mass-culture disdain and of superior alt-culture snark. All that was by design. He put himself out there to take those attacks. And on some level, he's a saint for that.
Manson has mentioned on at least two occasions that he trademarked the name Marilyn Manson. In an interview at the 2015Cannes Lions Festival, he said: "I trademarked the name 'Marilyn Manson' the same way as Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. It's not a stage name. It's not my legal name. ... Marilyn Manson is owned by Brian Warner, my real name."[178] He also mentioned this in a 2013 interview withLarry King.[179] The records of theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office show that he registered four trademarks of the name between 1994 and 1999, protecting entertainment services, merchandising and branding.[180][181][182][183]
Manson says he used those trademark registrations to issuecease and desist orders to media outlets who wrongly blamed him for theColumbine High School massacre. One journalist had erroneously reported the shooters were "wearing Marilyn Manson makeup and t-shirts", although the reports were soon proved incorrect.[178] He said "Once the wheels started spinning,Fox News started going."[178] As a result of these accusations, Manson's career was seriously harmed. He was shunned by many venue owners and received numerous death threats.[184]
Manson generally uses the name in lieu of his birth name. Though his mother referred to him by his birth name of Brian, his father opted to refer to his son as simply "Manson" since about 1993, saying: "It's called respect of the artist."[185]
Lawsuits
In September 1996, former bassistGidget Gein negotiated a settlement with Manson where he would receiveUS$17,500 and 20 percent of any royalties paid for recordings and for any songs he had a hand in writing and his share of any other royalties or fees the group earned while he was a member and he could market himself as a former member of Marilyn Manson. This settlement was not honored.[186]
Former guitarist and founding memberScott Putesky (a.k.a. Daisy Berkowitz) filed a $15 million lawsuit in a Fort Lauderdale court against the singer, theband and the band's attorney (David Codikow) in January 1998 after his departure from the group in the spring of 1996. Berkowitz claimed "thousands of dollars in royalties, publishing rights, and performance fees" and filed an attorney malpractice suit against Codikow, alleging that "Codikow represented Warner's interests more than the band's and ... gave Warner disproportionate control".[187][188] By October of that year, the suit had been settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.[189]
On November 30, 1998, a few days after the band accumulated "[a] total [of] more than $25,000" in backstage and hotel room damages during thePoughkeepsie, New York, stop of theirMechanical Animals Tour,[190]SPIN editor Craig Marks filed a $24-million lawsuit against Manson and hisbodyguards, alleging he had been assaulted by Manson after being invited backstage. On February 19, 1999, Manson counter-sued Marks for libel, slander and defamation, seekingUS$40million in reparation.[191] Marks later dropped the lawsuit.[192] Manson apologized for the Poughkeepsie incident and offered to make financial restitution.[193][194]
In a civil battery suit, David Diaz, a security officer from a concert inMinneapolis, Minnesota, on October 27, 2000, sued forUS$75,000 in a Minneapolis federal court.[195] The federal court jury found in Manson's favor.[196] In a civil suit presented byOakland County,Michigan, Manson was charged withsexual misconduct against another security officer, Joshua Keasler, during a concert inClarkston, Michigan, on July 30, 2001. Oakland County originally filed assault andbattery andcriminal sexual misconduct charges,[197] but the judge reduced the latter charge to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.[198] Manson pleadedno contest to the reduced charges, paid aUS$4,000 fine,[199] and later settled the lawsuit under undisclosed terms.[200]
On April 3, 2002, Maria St. John filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Manson of providing her adult daughter,Jennifer Syme, withcocaine and instructing her to drive while under the influence.[201] After attending a party at Manson's house, Syme was given a lift home;[202] Manson claims she was taken home by a designated driver.[201] After she got home, she got behind the wheel of her own vehicle and was killed when she crashed it into three parked cars. Manson is reported to have said there were no alcohol or other drugs at the party; St. John's lawyer disputed this claim.[201]
On August 2, 2007, former band memberStephen Bier filed a lawsuit against Manson for unpaid "partnership proceeds", seeking $20 million in back pay. Several details from the lawsuit leaked to the press.[203][204] In December 2007, Manson countersued, claiming that Bier failed to fulfill his duties as a band member to play for recordings and to promote the band.[205] On December 28, 2009, the suit was settled with an agreement which saw Bier's attorneys being paid a total of $380,000.[206]
Philanthropy
Manson has supported various charitable causes throughout his career. In 2002, he worked with theMake-A-Wish Foundation to collaborate with a fan who had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. 16-year-old Andrew Baines fromTennessee was invited into the band's recording studio to record backing vocals for their then-upcoming album,The Golden Age of Grotesque. His website read: "Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Andrew, who reminded me the things I create are only made complete by those who enjoy them. I just want to simply say, thank you to Andrew for sharing such an important wish with me."[207][208] He contributed toOxfam's 2013 "Rumble in the Jumble" event, which raised money to aid victims of domestic and sexual abuse in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo.[209] He has supported various organizations – such as Music for Life and Little Kids Rock – which enable access to musical instruments and education to children of low-income families. He has also worked with Project Nightlight, a group that encourages children and teenagers to speak out against physical and sexual abuse.[210] In 2019, he performed alongsideCyndi Lauper at her annual 'Home for the Holidays' benefit concert, with all proceeds donated to Lauper'sTrue Colors United, which "works to develop solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences ofLGBTQ young people".[211][212]
Personal life
Relationships
Dita Von Teese and Manson were married from 2005 to 2007.
Manson was engaged to actressRose McGowan from February 1999 to January 2001. McGowan later ended their engagement, citing "lifestyle differences".[213]
Manson andburlesque dancer, model, andcostume designerDita Von Teese became a couple in 2001. He proposed on March 22, 2004, and they were married in a private,non-denominational ceremony officiated byChilean film directorAlejandro Jodorowsky.[214] On December 30, 2006, Von Teese filed for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences".[215] Von Teese also eventually stated she did not agree with Manson's "partying or his relationship with another girl".[216] Manson's "heavyboozing" and distant behavior were also cited as cause for the split.[217] A judgment of divorce was entered inLos Angeles Superior Court on December 27, 2007.[218]
Manson's relationship with actress, model, and musicianEvan Rachel Wood was made public in 2007.[219] They maintained anon-again, off-again relationship for several years. He proposed to Wood during a Paris stage performance in January 2010, but the couple broke off the engagement later that year.[220]
In the March 2012 issue ofRevolver magazine, American photographer Lindsay Usich was referred to as Manson'sgirlfriend. The article referenced a new painting by him featuring her. Usich is credited as the photo source for the cover art of Manson's 2012 album,Born Villain. It was later confirmed that the two were romantically involved.[221] In February 2015, Manson toldBeat magazine that he is "newly single".[222]
In October 2020, Manson revealed in an interview withNicolas Cage onABC News Radio that he was married in a private ceremony during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[223] The person he married was revealed to be Usich after she changed her social media name to "Lindsay Elizabeth Warner".[224]
Manson claims he was a friend ofAnton LaVey,[226] and early on had also claimed LaVey inducted him as a minister in theChurch of Satan. Later in his career, Manson downplayed this, saying he was "not necessarily" a minister: "that was something earlier... it was a friend of mine who's now dead, who was a philosopher that I thought I learned a lot from. And that was a title I was given, so a lot of people made a lot out of it. But it's not a real job, I didn't get paid for it."[227] The Church of Satan itself later confirmed Manson was never ordained as a minister in their church, explaining "he was given an honorary priesthood for his real world accomplishments at the time".[228]
"I'm not amisanthrope. I'm not anihilist. I'm not anatheist. I believe inspirituality, but it really has to come from somewhere else. I learned a long time ago, you can't try to change the world, you can just try to make something in it. I think that's my spirituality, it's putting something into the world. If you take all the basic principles of any religion, it's usually about creation. There's also destruction, but creation essentially. I was raised Christian. I went to a Christian school, because my parents wanted me to get a better education. But when I got kicked out I was sent to public school, and got beat up more by the public school kids. But then I'd go to my friend'sPassover and have fun."
Manson is also familiar with the writings ofAleister Crowley andFriedrich Nietzsche. He quotes Crowley throughout his autobiography, includingThelema's principal dictum: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."[231] Crowley's esoteric subject matter forms an important theme in much of Manson's early work.[232]
Controversies
Marilyn Manson has been referred to as one of the most iconic and controversial figures inheavy metal music,[233][234][235][236][237] with some referring to him as a "pop cultureicon".[238][239][240][241]Paste magazine said there were "few artists in the 90s as shocking as Marilyn Manson, the most famous of theshock-rockers".[242] In her bookMusic in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture, author Jacqueline Edmondson writes that Manson creates music that "challenges people's worldviews and provokes questions and further thinking".[243] Manson, his work, and the work of his eponymous band, have been involved in numerous controversies throughout their career.[244][245]
On May 30, 1996, the co-directors of politicaladvocacy groupEmpower America organized abipartisan press conference withRepublicanWilliam Bennett andDemocratsJoseph Lieberman andC. Delores Tucker, in which therecord industry was admonished for selling "prepackaged, shrink-wrapped nihilism". The three largely targeted rap music, but also referenced Manson; Tucker calledSmells Like Children the "dirtiest, nastiest porno record directed at children that has ever hit the market" and said distributing record labels had "the blood of children on their hands", while Lieberman said the music "celebrates some of the most antisocial and immoral behaviors imaginable". They also announced that Empower America would be launching a $25,000 radio advertising campaign to collect petitions from listeners who wanted record companies to "stop spreading this vicious, vulgar music".[246]
The release ofAntichrist Superstar in 1996 coincided with the band's commercial breakthrough,[247] and much of the attention received by Manson from mainstream media was not positive.[248] Empower America organized another press conference in December 1996, where they criticizedMCA—the owner of Interscope—presidentEdgar Bronfman Jr. for profiting from "profanity-laced" albums by Manson,Tupac Shakur andSnoop Dogg.[249][250] The band's live performances also came under fire during this period; the "Dead to the World Tour" was followed by protesters at nearly every North American venue it visited.[251] Opponents of the band claimed the shows featured elements ofSatanism, including a satanicaltar,bestiality, rape, the distribution of free drugs,[247] homosexual acts, as well asanimal and evenhuman sacrifices.[252] Anonymousaffidavits compiled by theGulf Coast division of theAmerican Family Association made various other claims about the live shows.[251] Students in Florida were threatened with expulsion for attending the band's concerts.[247]
On April 20, 1999,Columbine High School studentsEric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed thirteen people and wounded twenty-four others before committing suicide.[261][262] In the immediate aftermath ofthe massacre, media reports surfaced that were heavily critical ofGoth subculture,[263][264] alleging the perpetrators were wearing Marilyn Manson T-shirts during the massacre,[265] and that they were influenced by violence in entertainment, specifically movies, video games and music.[266] Five days after the incident, William Bennet and Joseph Lieberman – longtime critics of the vocalist – appeared onMeet the Press, where they cited his music as a contributing factor to the shooting.[267] Soon after,sensationalist headlines such as "Killers Worshipped Rock Freak Manson" and "Devil-Worshipping Maniac Told Kids To Kill" began appearing in media coverage of the tragedy.[268][269] Despite confirmation that the pair were fans of Germanindustrial bands such asKMFDM andRammstein,[270][271] and had "nothing but contempt" for Manson's music,[272] mainstream media continued to direct themajority of blame for the shooting at Manson.[273][274]
TheMayor of Denver,Wellington Webb, successfully petitioned for the cancelation ofKBPI-FM's annual "Birthday Bash", at which Manson was scheduled to appear on April 30. Webb said the concert would be "inappropriate" because the two gunmen were thought to be fans of Manson.[275]Coloradoan politiciansBill Owens andTom Tancredo accused Manson of promoting "hate, violence, death, suicide, drug use and the attitudes and actions of the Columbine High School killers".[276] On April 29, ten US senators led by Brownback sent a letter to the head ofSeagram, theconglomerate which owned Manson's record label, requesting they stop distributing music to children that "glorifies violence". The letter named Manson, accusing him of producing songs that "eerily reflect" the actions of Harris and Klebold.[277]
Manson canceled the final four dates of the Rock Is Dead Tour out of respect for the victims while criticizing the media for their irresponsible coverage of the tragedy.[278][279] He elaborated on this point in anop-ed written forRolling Stone titled "Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?". In the article, Manson castigatedAmerica's gun culture and the political influence of theNational Rifle Association, but was heavily critical of news media. He argued the media should be blamed for the next school shooting, as it was them who propagated the ensuing hysteria and "witch hunt", and said that instead of debating more relevant societal issues, the media instead facilitated the placing of blame on ascapegoat.[280][281]
On May 4, Brownback chaired a congressional hearing of theUnited States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on the distribution and marketing of supposedly violent content to children by the film, music, television and video-game industries. The committee heard testimony from Bennett, the Archbishop of DenverCharles J. Chaput, as well as professors and mental health professionals; they criticized Manson, his label mates Nine Inch Nails, and the 1999 filmThe Matrix for their alleged contribution to a cultural environment enabling violence such as the Columbine shootings.Recording Industry Association of America executiveHilary Rosen said she refused to participate in the hearing as it was "staged aspolitical theater. They just wanted to find a way to shame the industry, and I'm not ashamed."[282] The committee eventually requested theFederal Trade Commission and theUnited States Department of Justice investigate the entertainment industry's marketing practices to minors.[283] The lyrical content of the band's 2000 albumHoly Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) was largely inspired by the massacre, with Manson saying it was a rebuttal to the accusations leveled against him by mainstream media.[284] He also discussed the massacre and its aftermath inMichael Moore's 2002 documentaryBowling for Columbine.[285]
Other alleged incidents
In 2000, an elderly nun was murdered by three schoolgirls in Italy, with their diaries reportedly containing numerous references to and pictures of Manson.[286] Soon after, he was arrested following a concert inRome forallegedly "tearing off his genitals".[286] Manson said the arrest was politically motivated following his implication in the murder by Italiantabloids.[287] In 2003, French media[which?] blamed Manson when several teenagers vandalized the graves of British war heroes inArras, France.[286]
On June 30, 2003, 14-year-old schoolgirlJodi Jones was brutally murdered inScotland.[288] Her mutilated body was discovered in woodland near her home, with her injuries said to closely resemble those of Elizabeth Short, commonly referred to by media as theBlack Dahlia.[289][290] Ten months later, Jones's boyfriend Luke Mitchell, then-fifteen years old, was arrested on suspicion of her murder.[291] Police confiscated a copy ofThe Golden Age of Grotesque containing the short filmDoppelherz during a search of Mitchell's family home,[292] which had been purchased by Mitchell two days after Jones's death.[293] A ten-minute excerpt from the film, as well as several paintings created by Manson depicting the Black Dahlia's mutilated body, were presented as evidence during the trial.[292][294][295] Mitchell was found guilty of her murder and was sentenced to a minimum of twenty years in prison.[296] In his closing summation,Lord Nimmo Smith said he believed Mitchell "carried an image of [Manson's] paintings in [his] memory when [he] killed Jodi".[297] Mitchell continues to profess his innocence.[298]
The controversy connecting Manson to school shootings continued on October 10, 2007, when fourteen-year old Asa Coonshot four people atSuccessTech Academy inCleveland, Ohio, before committing suicide.[299] While exiting a bathroom, Coon was punched in the face by another student, and responded by shooting his attacker in the abdomen.[300] Coon then walked down the hallway and shot in to two occupied classrooms – wounding two teachers and a student – before entering a bathroom and committing suicide.[301] Coon was wearing a Marilyn Manson T-shirt during the shooting.[302][303] A photograph of Coon's dead body was circulated online by Cleveland police officer Walter Emerick.[304] On May 18, 2009, Justin Doucet, a fifteen-year-old student atLarose-Cut Off Middle School inLafourche Parish, Louisiana, entered the school with asemi-automatic pistol.[305] After a teacher refused to comply with Doucet's demand to say "Hail Marilyn Manson", he fired two shots that narrowly missed the teacher's head, before shooting himself.[306][307] Doucet died from his injuries a week later.[308]
In September 2023, Manson pleadnolo contendere – ano contest plea without admitting guilt – to a misdemeanor count of simple assault stemming from an incident where he allegedly blew his nose on a videographer during a concert in New Hampshire on August 19, 2019. He received a sentence of 20 hours community service and was fined $1,400, with $200 suspended.[309] He completed his community service with a Californian organization that facilitates meetings hosted byAlcoholics Anonymous andAl-Anon.[310]
Abuse allegations
In 2018, actorCharlyne Yi accused Manson of sexually harassing them along with other women and making racist remarks on the set of the seriesHouse.[311] Several of Manson's former acquaintances began communicating with one another in September 2020.[312][313] In a letter dated January 21, 2021, California State SenatorSusan Rubio wrote to the director of theFBI and theU.S. Attorney General, asking them to investigate allegations several women had made against Manson.[314] On February 1, formerfiancéeEvan Rachel Wood wrote onInstagram and in a statement toVanity Fair, accusing Manson of being abusive during their relationship a decade earlier.[315] Four other women simultaneously issued statements also accusing Manson of abuse.[316] Wood continued to makeallegations against Manson and his wife Lindsay Usich on Instagram, claiming that his alleged abuse includedantisemitism,[317] and said she filed a report with theLos Angeles Police Department against Usich for threatening toleak photographs of Wood dressed in aNazi uniform while wearing anAdolf Hitler-styletoothbrush moustache.[318] A total of sixteen people have made various allegations against Manson,[319][320] including five accusations of sexual assault.[321]
Manson was immediately dropped by distributing record labelLoma Vista Recordings, his talent agencyCreative Artists, and his long-time manager Tony Ciulla.[322] He was also removed from future episodes of TV seriesAmerican Gods andCreepshow, in which he was scheduled to appear.[319][323] On February 2, Manson issued a statement via Instagram denying the allegations and calling them "horrible distortions of reality", saying all his relationships have been entirely consensual and that the accusers were "misrepresenting the past."[324] His former wifeDita Von Teese said "the details made public do not match my personal experience during our 7 years together as a couple", while also mentioning "abuse has no place in any relationship".[325] Former girlfriendRose McGowan said that Manson was not abusive during their relationship but that her experience had "no bearing on whether he was like that with others before or after".[326] On February 3, the LAPD performed a "welfare check" at Manson's home after receiving a call from a purported friend who was concerned for his wellbeing.[327][328] TheLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed on February 19 that they were investigating Manson due to allegations of domestic violence.[329]
Five women filedcivil lawsuits against Manson in the months that followed Wood's allegations:Esmé Bianco,[330] Ashley Morgan Smithline,[331] Ashley Walters,[332] and twoJane Does.[333] Manson's legal team issued statements denying the allegations.[334][335] They filed a motion to dismiss these lawsuits, calling the claims "untrue, meritless" and alleging that several of the accusers "spent months plotting, workshopping, and fine-tuning their stories to turn what were consensual friendships and relationships with Warner from more than a decade ago, into twisted tales that bear no resemblance to reality".[336] The lawsuit filed by the anonymous woman was initially dismissed because it exceeded thestatute of limitations,[337][338] although an amended complaint was refiled soon after.[339] Manson's legal team also sought to have Bianco's lawsuit dismissed because it exceeded the statute of limitations, although a federal judge denied that motion.[340][341] Walters's lawsuit was dismissedwith prejudice in May,[342][343] but was reinstated in December 2023 following an appeal to theCalifornia Courts of Appeal. The appellate court agreed that her lawsuit should be excluded from the statute of limitations because she claimed she hadsuppressed her memories.[344] Smithline's lawsuit was also dismissed by a federal judge, after her lawyer withdrew from her case and she did not meet a court-ordered deadline regarding her representation in the case.[345] Bianco and Manson reached an out-of-court settlement in January 2023 with undisclosed terms of agreement.[346]
In January 2023, another plaintiff identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against him, alleging that he groomed and sexually assaulted her in the 1990s.[347][348] The lawsuit also named defunct record labelNothing Records and its parent companyInterscope as co-defendants, accusing them of being aware of Manson's alleged abuse.[347][348] Substantive portions of this lawsuit were dismissed in July 2024, as the claims fell outside the remit of New York'sAdult Survivors Act, in which the lawsuit was filed.[349] Smithline recanted her allegations in legal documents in February 2023, claiming she was "manipulated" and "pressured" by Wood and her associates to make allegations against Manson that were "not true".[321][350][351] In September 2023, Manson settled the first Jane Doe lawsuit.[352] The settlement was reached in theSuperior Court of California in Los Angeles and was made the week before the case was scheduled to go to trial.[353]
Manson filed a lawsuit against Wood and Ashley "Illma" Gore for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violations of theCalifornia Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, as well as the impersonation of an FBI agent and falsifying federal documents.[354] The suit alleged that Wood and Gore spent three years contacting his former girlfriends,[354][355] and that the pair impersonated and falsified documents from an FBI agent.[356] The suit additionally claimed Gore hacked Manson's computers and social media, and created fake emails to manufacture evidence he was distributing "illicit pornography".[357] It also alleged that Goreswatted Manson by calling the FBI claiming to be a friend concerned about an "emergency" at his home. As a result of the call, several police officers and a helicopter were dispatched to his property, where "there was no emergency".[358] He sought a jury trial.[359][360] A portion of the defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims of the lawsuit, specifically his allegation that Wood and Gore forged an FBI letter and publicly spread false claims regarding his unreleased short filmGroupie, were dismissed after the two filedanti-SLAPP notices.[361] Manson was ordered to pay Wood and Gore's legal fees, totaling almost $500,000. He initially appealed the anti-SLAPP ruling,[362] but discontinued the suit in November 2024, agreeing to pay Wood's legal fees.[363]
The LACSD presented the findings of their 19-month investigation of the sexual assault allegations made against Manson to Californiadistrict attorneyGeorge Gascón in September 2022.[364] Gascón called the file "partial" and said more evidence was needed to file charges.[365][366] On October 10, 2024, Gascón announced he was considering new evidence in the case.[367] Bianco alleged Gascón had been mishandling the case and that Gascón had refused to speak with her since filing her complaint over two years ago.[368] In January 2025, the LACSD concluded their 4-year criminal investigation of the abuse allegations, and Gascón's successorNathan Hochman said charges would not be filed against Manson for either domestic violence or sexual abuse, because "we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt", and that the claims fell outside of thestatute of limitations.[369]
^"In an attempt to reiterate the lesson ofWilly Wonka in my own style during shows, I hung a donkeypiñata over the crowd and put a stick on the edge of the stage. Then I would warn, 'Please, don't break that open. I beg you not to.' Human psychology being what it is, kids in the crowd would invariably grab the stick and smash the piñata apart, forcing everyone to suffer the consequence, which would be a shower of cow brains, chicken livers and pig intestines from [the] disemboweled donkey."[19]
^"Well, there was always a real chip on our shoulder that [Portrait of an American Family] never really got the push from the record label that we thought it deserved. It was all about us touring our fucking asses off. We toured for two years solid,opening up for Nine Inch Nails for a year and then doingour own club tours. It was all just about perseverance."[24]
^Michael Beinhorn, the co-producer ofMechanical Animals, said: "WhenMechanical Animals came out, the projected sales figure for the first week was 300,000 copies. [The label was] excited, saying, 'We're going to hit No.1 and sell 300k!'. It sold 230,000 and got to No.1, but it wasn't enough. The label lost interest, they took down the huge billboard they had in Times Square for the album, the president of the label called Manson up, screaming at him for having tits on the cover. I think that, and what happened atColumbine, which really affected him emotionally, meant that he never made an album up to the standard ofMechanical Animals orAntichrist Superstar again. He just didn't get the support."[43]
^Manson, Marilyn (1998).The Long Hard Road out of Hell. HarperCollins. p. 17.ISBN978-0-06-098746-6.An imposing-looking family tree tracing the Warners back to Poland and Germany, where they were called the Wanamakers, was plastered on the wall nearby.
^The Dope Show (liner notes). Marilyn Manson. Interscope Records. 1998. INTDS–95599.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Booklet".Humid Teenage Mediocrity 1992–1996 (liner notes). Marilyn Manson. Los Angeles, United States:Sympathy for the Record Industry. 2020. SFTRI- 772.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Bugliosi, Vincent with Gentry, Curt.Helter Skelter – The True Story of the Manson Murders 25th Anniversary Edition, W.W. Norton & Company, 1994.ISBN0-393-08700-X. oclc=15164618.
^O'Reilly, Terry (January 5, 2017)."The Crazy World of Trademarks". CBC Radio. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. RetrievedJanuary 7, 2017.
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