Marilyn Manson and his abuse allegations that have surfaced this week have resulted in a number of people from his professional and personal life to respond.
One of the people from his professional life to chime in was Sharon Osbourne, who addressed the Manson news on CBS’ The Talk, where she is a co-host. She said in the video below, “I’ve known Marilyn for 25 years. [I’ve] worked with him for many, many years and obviously I would not know what goes on in his bedroom, neither do I want to, but as far as people who think going on all my social, calling me names and putting up pictures of Marylin and I. You know, there’s something called a working relationship and that’s what I’ve had with Marylin for many years. I know nothing about his sexual preferences or the way he treats women. I know how he treats an older woman, which is me. And he’s always been respectful.”
As for people from his professional life, ex-wife Dita Von Teese, who had a lengthy relationship with Manson, took to Instagram and issued the following statement: “I have been processing the news that broke Monday regarding Marilyn Manson. To those who have expressed your concerns fo my well-being, I appreciate your kindness. Please know that the details made public do not match my personal experience during our 7 years together as a couple. Had they, I would not have married him in December 2005. I left 12 months later due to infidelity and drug abuse.”
Her statement continued, “Abuse of any kind has no place in any relationship. I urge those of you who have incurred abuse to take steps to heal and the strength to fully realize yourself. This is my sole statement on this matter. Thank you for respecting this request.”
Other individuals have come forward to respond to the Manson abuse allegations including former guitarist Wes Borland. Borland said during a live stream on the Space Zebra Twitch channel, “I was in the band for nine months. He’s not a great guy. Every single thing that people have said about him is f—ing true. So relax about the allegations towards the women…like when people say [bad things about] these women that are coming after him right no…f— off, they are speaking the truth…I was there when he was with Evan Rachel Wood, I was at his house, it’s not f—ing cool. That’s all I’m gonna say about it. If anyone is coming after these girls and going like, ‘You blah blah blah, this and that,’ f— you, that’s all I’m gonna say. Sorry to take this to a dark place, but that guy is canceled, goodbye, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Trent Reznor, who signed Marilyn Manson to his Nothing Records label and worked on Manson’s first two studio albums, issued a statement following resurfaced claims of sexual assault from Manson’s 1998 memoir, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell.
In a statement to Pitchfork, Reznor said, “I have been vocal over the years about my dislike of Manson as a person and cut ties with him nearly 25 years ago. As I said at the time, the passage from Manson’s memoir is a complete fabrication. I was infuriated and offended back when it came out and remain so today.”
Screenshots of the graphic, disturbing passage have been making the rounds on social media after Manson’s ex-fiance Evan Rachel Wood, who has spoken often, and on the record, about abuse that she suffered at the hands of a previously-unnamed ex, issued a statement identifying her abuser as Manson. Following Wood’s statement, Vanity Fair also published statements of four additional women who came forward accusing Manson of abusive behavior.
In the fallout from these allegations, Manson has been dropped from upcoming TV roles, dropped from his label and dropped from talent agency CAA. California State Senator Susan Rubio has also submitted a formal request to Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson and FBI Director Christopher Ray calling for an investigation into Manson’s abuse allegations.
In response to the allegations, Manson issued a brief statement that read, “Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how – and why – others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.”