Rolling Stone Probe Delves Deep Into Marilyn Manson's Alleged Abuse

Paints a disturbing picture of rocker's alleged behavior
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 15, 2021 1:30 AM CST
Updated Nov 15, 2021 6:53 AM CST
The Marilyn Manson 'Character' Allowed Him to Hide Abuse: Sources
In this Aug. 2, 2015, file photo, Marilyn Manson performs in concert in Camden, NJ.   (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

Rolling Stone spent nine months speaking to more than 55 sources (some of them accusers who had not previously spoken publicly) for the magazine's extensive investigation into Marilyn Manson, published Sunday night. Many of them painted a picture of someone whose carefully cultivated "shock rock," "living demon" persona allowed him to become what the magazine calls "a monster hiding in plain sight." Some of Rolling Stone's sources, who in addition to accusers included associates and former friends, described incidents prior to the rocker becoming famous in which he verbally abused his mother, and others describe alleged sexual misdeeds dating back to the early 1990s, including Manson recording sexual encounters and showing the videos to friends.

The sources recall his frequent rape jokes and use of the n-word, his disturbing obsession with Nazis, and alleged bad behavior that went beyond the sexual abuse he's accused of—former associates say he was also verbally and physically abusive to band members and employees, and they describe an environment in which no one could be trusted because Manson had all the people surrounding him reporting to him on each other. Similarly, women have accused Manson of psychological torture such as being left in a solitary confinement cell for hours. He is accused of rape, holding women captive, physical abuse and violent threats, and of threatening to kill himself or the women if they left him. Some of his accusers met up last year to compare notes. Read the full article, which is nearly 10,000 words long, here. (More Marilyn Manson stories.)

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