While legal proceedings against Marilyn Manson for domestic violence , and sexual abuse , and human trafficking, among others, are underway, Rolling Stone conducted a nine-month investigation into the alleged crimes committed by Brian Warner , the musician's birth name, interviewing 55 sources.
In the lengthy report "Marilyn Manson: The Monster Hiding in Broad Daylight," Warner's behavior is described as that of a serial abuser by the alleged victims, who were all reportedly approached in the same way before the start of the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse – much of which was recounted by the singer himself in interviews, song lyrics, music videos, and in his autobiography Long Hard Road Out of Hell , written alongside Neil Strauss .
See below the main topics raised by the magazine.
Violence against women
Based on information from lawsuits filed against Warner and accounts from people close to the musician since the beginning of the band Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids , in the early stages of the musician's career, the investigation traced a history of abuse against women from before his fame, starting with physical and verbal violence committed against his own mother, Barbara, and stalking his first girlfriends .
Once again, these facts were revealed by the musician himself in his autobiography and confirmed by people close to him, but the specialized press always treated this type of statement as part of an exaggerated public persona designed to shock, instead of condemning the band's misogynistic discourse: from the first shows, Warner assaulted women on stage as a form of theatrical performance and produced pornography of the fans he had relationships with backstage, collecting graphic and disturbing material from dozens of women.
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The relationships began consensually, with Warner using "love bombing" to gain the trust of his new conquests. After a short time, the victims claim, the musician would declare he was in love and soon invite them to live with him, gradually isolating the victims from friends and family. The abuse began from this point, ranging from emotional manipulation, sleep and food deprivation, forced drug use, physical assaults, death threats , and rape .
Racism
In addition to misogyny, the article also emphasized Brian Warner's alleged racist behavior, ranging from the use of racial slurs in everyday vocabulary to an obsession with Nazi paraphernalia , including swastika symbols and supposedly real weapons used by the German army in World War II.
According to accounts from alleged victims in the legal documents against Warner and interviews, these Nazi objects were used to torture women during sexual assaults and fights. It's worth noting that the singer has the Marilyn Manson logo tattooed on his chest in the form of a swastika, in addition to other designs with probable Nazi references.
READ ALSO: “I am proud of these women,” says Rose McGowan, Marilyn Manson’s ex-girlfriend.
Abuses of power
In several accounts, Brian Warner allegedly abused the power he gained from fame to silence victims, as recounted by a woman in the documentation of the lawsuit against the singer for rape.
According to the court documents, Warner threatened to murder her and stated that he wouldn't be arrested for the crime because "she was a 'nobody' and he was a celebrity with police connections."
The abuses of power were not limited to the women around him, as employees, former colleagues, and public incidents point out. On more than one occasion, Warner violently assaulted bandmates and people involved in recording music videos and tours. "Many of his associates, including his employees, say that Warner tried to silence them through intimidation," the report states.
Marilyn Manson's stance
Marilyn Manson's defense denies all accusations without exception. Brian Warner has pleaded not guilty in all legal proceedings opened to date, stating that all relationships were consensual. Some of the musician's musical partners were interviewed by the magazine and denied witnessing any violent or abusive acts on Warner's part, including a former girlfriend of the singer.
READ ALSO : Phoebe Bridgers reveals that Marilyn Manson told her he had a "rape room"
