American rock musician Marilyn Manson was accused of rape and domestic violence by four women in a lawsuit that spanned over several years. The case concluded in January of this year without charges being filed, due to a lack of sufficient evidence. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman provided a statement explaining the decision.

He said: “We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.

“We recognise and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation.”

Those involved in the lawsuit included Manson’s former personal assistant Ashley Walters, model Ashley Morgan Smithline and Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, with a fourth accuser choosing to remain anonymous. In a statement made to Instagram shortly after the ruling, Bianco expressed her disappointment with the decision: “Once again, our justice system has failed survivors. Not the individual prosecutors and detectives who worked for years on this case, but the system that made them do so with one hand tied behind their collective backs.”

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Actress Evan Rachel Wood accused Manson of domestic abuse in 2021, and in 2022, Manson sued her for defamation. However, in 2024, he dropped the lawsuit and they reached a settlement.

Since then, Manson has undertaken a world tour, performing around the US in spring, and will be taking on his ‘One Assassination Under God’ tour across Europe and North America in autumn. One UK date includes a Halloween gig at Bournemouth’s International Centre. Although Manson strongly denies all allegations against him, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council leader Millie Earl believes the show should be cancelled due to the message it sends about the treatment of women.

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The Liberal Democrat leader told the BBC: “I don’t feel Marilyn Manson reflects the values we have in BCP and we’ve been doing a lot of work around things like the White Ribbon accreditation scheme which helps men and boys change negative, damaging behaviours.

“So I have asked that BH Live reconsider hosting Marilyn Manson later this year.” Earl added that she wants to “reinforce the message that violence against women and girls isn’t something that’s acceptable in our community.”

Although the council owns the Bournemouth International Centre, according to Earl, they have no say over what events take place there due to the lease agreement, hence the need to ask the venue’s promoters, BH Live, to reconsider hosting the singer.

As of today, 22 June, BH Live has not publicly addressed Earl’s concerns, and the show is still scheduled to proceed.

wtf is wrong with the grammys

— blonde don (@machinegunkelly) November 23, 2021

This year’s more prestigious categories in the general field (best album, best new artist, record of the year and song of the year) see a lot of big names, none of which crop up more regularly than Olivia Rodrigo, who has been nominated for each with her viral sensation ‘drivers license’ from here 2021 album Sour. The usual suspects of Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, H.E.R., Taylor Swift, and Kanye West also receive nods throughout the categories. Mercury Prize winner Arlo Parks and recent record breakers Glass Animals also get fitting mentions in the Best New Artist bracket.

The Album of The Year, and Best Rap Song categories also bring their fair share of controversy. Kanye West has been nominated for his effort on DONDA, released earlier this year. These days it’s seemingly impossible for Kanye to go through an album cycle without something landing in the headlines. This time, the spotlight has been placed on his expansive feature list. Specifically, the appearance of recently cancelled Marilyn Manson, who also has a nod for Best Rap Song on West’s track “Jail”. His position on the album has led to many questioning whether or not he should be involved in the award ceremony after being accused of sexual assault by multiple women. The academy’s CEO Mason Harvey Jr. said this about his inclusion, “We won’t look back at people’s history, we won’t look at their criminal record, we won’t look at anything other than the legality within our rules of, is this recording for this work-eligible based on date and other criteria,” he added. “If it is, they can submit for consideration.”.

Jay-Z makes history with this announcement, picking up 2 separate nominations in the Best Rap Song category. Featuring on “Jail” with Kanye West, and “Bath Salts” alongside DMX and Nas, takes the rappers total Grammy nominations up to a record-breaking 83. He surpassed Beatles legend Paul McCartney to take the title after he has only gained 81 nominations so far, renowned producer Quincy Jones sits in 3^rd place with a meagre 80 Grammy nominations. Of the 83 nominations Jay-Z has bagged so far, he has won 23.

Many other oddities come from this year’s nominees. ABBA was nominated for the first time in their 48 year careers, BTS fans are shocked at the group’s singular mention despite the group themselves seeming incredibly grateful, and notice a distinct lack of British music on the list. Arlo Parks, Major Lazer, and Paul McCartney are basically the only Brits to land in any major categories. See all the nominations here.

This is a huge honor Thanks to everyone who supports our music journey! @RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs #BTS #방탄소년단 pic.twitter.com/l10x0LrDMq

— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) November 24, 2021

Manson is currently touring the US, co-headlining with Rob Zombie, who referenced Manson’s illness during his own set, telling the crowd that Manson wouldn’t be joining him onstage for their collaborative cover of the Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’.

“My dear friend Mr. Manson is feeling under the weather. He’s probably on the bus feeling like crap. I need a partner for the next song so let’s sing it really loud and make him feel better”, Zombie told the crowd.

Photographers at the gig were also reportedly told to leave the photo pit before Manson’s entry, as he didn’t want his photo taken while feeling ill.

Manson has taken to Twitter today to address the incident, thanking the Houston crowd for their sympathies and understanding following the incident.

Thanks Houston for being understanding. I ended up in doctor’s care, but I gave it my best and you guys were amazing.

— Marilyn Manson (@marilynmanson) August 20, 2018

 The pair are scheduled to continue their ‘Twins of Evil: The Second Coming’ tour tonight, with a stop-off show in Denver, Colorado.

Manson also suffered onstage in 2017, when he was crushed after accidentally pulling down an onstage prop during a gig. The injury meant that he had to have a plate and 10 screws put into his fibula and another screw inserted in his ankle bone, leading to him having to cancel and reschedule several later tour dates.

Manson was performing ahead of Avenge Sevenfold, who were the headliner for the night, when the crowd allegedly got impatient. According to a reddit user who was present, the audience spent the first 30 minutes of Manson’s set booing and encouraging him to exit the stage, resulting in the artist pulling a group of fans up on stage.

Many of those chosen were fans of Manson himself, but one was wearing an Avenge Sevenfold shirt, which Manson insisted he remove when the fan went in for a hug. Instead, he insisted the fan cover himself with a Peruvian flag that was also brought onstage, which he eventually did. When he finally agreed the crowd cheered along and encouraged him, despite jeering Manson out of admiration for Avenge Sevenfold just minutes earlier .

The event came just a few days after Marilyn released his his first single since “Heaven Upside Down”, his tenth studio album which was released in October of 2017. His newest single is an industrial take on “Cry Little Sister”, the song popularised due to its use in the vampire flick Lost Boys.

Reports suggest that the singer delivered several incoherent rants after only four songs, whilst his band improvised around him, before Manson dropped his microphone and stormed offstage. This prompted the crowd to turn, and begin to chant ‘Fuck you Manson’ as he made his exit. You can see fan footage of the incident below.

Several fans have also taken to social to describe the incident, with many fans apathetic about the incident, rather than angry.  “I wish I could say last night’s show was amazing, but it was just awful,” one fan wrote. “Manson came out with a bang but the whole thing deteriorated very quickly. A couple songs in, he went into a conversation with the crowd about how much we loved him (or not). Asked for cheering and the usual rock star ego stuff.

“I think we all started to realise something was wrong. Once he was temporarily satisfied, it didn’t improve. They would start songs only to screech them to a halt a minute in. There were very drawn out versions of songs where Manson mostly rambled on about our lack of love and other bizarre things. After an hour and fifteen minutes of this, he threw his microphone and left the stage. House lights came on a couple minutes later. I don’t think they completed more than 4 songs.

Tried seeing Marilyn Manson tonight. We have seen him on 4 other occasions and always entertained. This time due to being so drugged, drunk, or sick unfortunately this concert was a complete failure. I know what you’re going to say but it is sad to see a complete spiral downward of a human due to drugs/drinking. Which might have been from being in pain from his accident a few months ago. Marilyn please get the help you need and we will see you next time and we do love you

Speaking on Marc Marons WTF podcast, Mason discusses topics such as why he only sings with his left hand and talks about his only encounter with the legendary David Bowie alongside the story of the ‘dick biting’ fan.

Despite being right-handed, Manson explained he sings with his left hand “because I used to have to catch bottles being thrown at me. I still have the dexterity of having to keep track of not being hit by bottles.”

Manson then discussed the more recent incident that took place at one of his live shows, saying “Someone bit me on the dick at my last show,” Manson said. “I jumped into the barricade and I was singing to the crowd. I can’t remember what city it was. It might have been somewhere in upper eastern Europe. Someone bit hard onto where my dick is. They didn’t get the dick but they got the part of the pant where the dick belongs. But my dick ducked, it swerved like a Matrix dick.”

He then added ““They wouldn’t let go, I had to point my microphone at them because my microphone is actually a knuckle duster. I had to point it at the girl biting my dick. He continued talking about the incident, saying “She had glasses on. My mother, god rest her soul, always said ‘don’t hit a girl with glasses’. If she had got foreskin, I would have really got upset. It would have hurt one of us, someone would have walked out there in pain.”

Manson also spoke about the time his only encounter with David Bowie went sour, claiming that twin peaks actor, Laura Flynn Boyle is responsible, after meeting him backstage after a show in 2004, the last tour that Bowie did before he passed.

“I remember he grabbed my tie and said, ‘Oh, Hedi Slimane’, because he knew the designer of the tie,” Manson recalled. “I was all excited. I felt like I was going to pee in my pants like a little girl.”

“Then Lara Flynn Boyle came in and ruined it, started yelling about cocaine and toilets and I don’t know what else… She was really overwhelming and it was fucking with my Bowie moment. I wanted her to be a boil and I’d pop it, lance it.”

Manson was recently hospitalised after a stage prop fell on him last month during a live performance in New York. The singer ended up with a plate and 10 screws in his leg and an additional screw in his ankle as the prop fell on his leg and broke the fibula in two places. However, he feels fortunate that the injuries weren’t worse. “It definitely could have crushed my skull and my ribs,” he said. “I have some minor bruising in that area, but it took six guys to pull it off of me. It was like wrestling a giant iron monster.”

Manson recently released his tenth studio album “Heaven Upside Down.”

The Rockstar shared the saddening news on Instagram and Twitter over the weekend with a heartwarming childhood photo of him and his dad.

Today I lost my father, Hugh Warner. He taught me to be a man, a fighter, a survivor. I know he is with my mom now. I miss and love you dad pic.twitter.com/f6WT0nrfLh

— Marilyn Manson (@marilynmanson) July 7, 2017

Manson also shared a photo of him and his father earlier on this year, for fathers day, of them wearing matching makeup.

For Hugh so loved the world he made me. Happy Father's Day pic.twitter.com/S1mMqWHGj9

— Marilyn Manson (@marilynmanson) June 18, 2017

Meanwhile, Manson recentley revealed that he is finished with his new album, titled Heaven Upside Down.  The iconic metal stars latest release will be his tenth studio album, following on for 2015’s The Pale Emperor. The newest record was originally thought to be named Say10 after a series of hints, however during an awkward interview speaking to FabulousTV at the ‘King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword’  movie premiere he confirmed otherwise

Manson will be touring the UK and EU this winter. You can see the full dates below:

14/11: Annext, Stockholm, Sweden

15/11: HAL 14, Elsingnore, Denmark,

16/11: Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany

18/11: Zenith, Munich, Germany

19/11: Tip Sport Arena, Prague, Czech Republic

20/11: Gasometer, Vienna, Austria

22/11: Pala Alpitour, Turin, Italy

23/11: Samsung Hall, Zurich, Switzerland

25/11: Velodrome-UFO, Berlin, Germany

29/11: Mitsubishi Electric Hall, Dusseldorf, Germany

02/12: Forest National, Brussels, Belgium

04/12: O2 Academy, Manchester, UK

05/12: O2 Academy, Glasgow, UK

06/12: Civic Theatre, Wolverhampton, UK

08/12: Newport Centre, Newport, UK

09/12: SSE Arena Wembley, London, UK.

Tickets are available here.

The upcoming project has also undergone a title change, with Manson altering the LP’s name from Say10 (get it?) to Heaven Upside Down, which will be the singer’s tenth studio album, and the follow up to 2015’s surprisingly good The Pale Emperor.

Speaking at the premiere of King Arthur: legend of the Sword, Manson said: “I just finished my new album, I’m going on tour in July […] it’s called Heaven Upside Down.”

It was previously rumoured that the album would be a surprise release, and would drop on February 14, which obviously hasn’t happened.What has happened however, is a teaser video, in which Manson beheads Donald Trump,  in a teaser for the project, so fans won’t be wholly disappointed.

When talking about the album’s sound, Manson was highly detailed, and suggested it would have a more classic sound to it than The Pale Emperor.

“It is, I would say, the last thing people would expect after hearing The Pale Emperor” he said. “Coming from the people who I’ve played it to, it’s a combination of Antichrist Superstar and Mechanical Animals in feeling.”

As self-aware as ever, Manson even addressed the idea that he was returning to old ground to attempt to rekindle past glories, saying “It wasn’t my intent to go backwards. Everything goes in a full circle and it just becomes, without cannibalising work from the past, the same thing: which is ultimately you. I’m a little over-anxious to release it, so it was done very quickly, but it’s by far the most thematic and over-complicated thing that I’ve done. In a way, it’s deceptively delightful to strangers. It’s like the old saying that the devil’s greatest secret is that people don’t believe he exists.”

Manson will also be taking Hell Upside Down on tour, venturing across Europe in November before a stint of dates in the UK. The full dates are listed below. Tickets go on sale at 9am on May 19, and can be purchased here.
04/12/2017- Manchester-O2 Academy
05/12- Glasgow- O2 Academy
06.12- Wolverhampton- Civic Theatre
08/12- Newport- Newport Centre
09/12- Londn- SSE Wembley Arena

The official dates and venues are yet to be announced, however a list of cities the unprecedented ensemble will be visiting has been released and is as follows:

Salt Lake City, Utah

Seattle, Wash.

San Francisco, Cali.

Los Angeles, Cali.

San Diego, Cali.

Las Vegas, Nev.

Phoenix, Ari.

Albuquerque, NM

Denver, Col.

Austin, Tex.

Dallas, Tex.

Houston, Tex.

Nashville, Tenn.

Atlanta, Geo.

West Palm Beach, Fla.

Tampa, Fla.

Wantagh, NY

Hartford, Conn.

Holmdel, NJ

Scranton, Penn.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Indianapolis, Ind.

Oshkosh, Wis.

Cadott, Wis.

Chicago, Ill.

Syracuse, NY

Saratoga Springs, NY

Bristow, Va.

Camden, NJ

Detroit, Mich.

Pittsburgh, Penn.

Virginia Beach, Va.

Charlotte, NC

St. Louis, Mo. 

The tour will promote Slipknot’s Grammy-nominated latest album, released in 2014 and entitled 5: The Grey Chapter, as well as Manson’s recent offering The Pale Emperor, which was released last year. Both acts are still currently touring headline shows in the wake of their latest album releases, with Slipknot having finished the UK leg of their tour only last week, playing shows in Cardiff, London, Birmingham and Leeds, including a two night residency at London’s infamous Alexandra Palace after a surge in ticket demand resulting in an additional date being added.

More details are expected to be released in the coming weeks.