Trent Reznor, the Oscar-winning composer and lead singer of Nine Inch Nails, denied claims that he was involved in a sexual assault alongside Marilyn Manson, made by Manson in his memoirs.
Earlier this week, Manson was accused by his former partner, actor Evan Rachel Wood, of years of “horrible” abuse. She had previously accused an unidentified person of sexual assault, physical violence, including torture and various forms of emotional abuse. Four other women published reports of Manson’s sexual, physical and emotional abuse concurrently.
He denies the accusations, calling them “horrible distortions of reality” and saying “my intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual”.
In the wake of the allegations, a passage from Manson’s 1998 autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, began circulating online, in which Manson claims that he and Reznor sexually assaulted a heavily intoxicated woman. Reznor replied, saying:
I have spoken openly over the years about my dislike for Manson as a person and have severed relations with him for almost 25 years. As I said at the time, the passage from Manson’s memories is a complete invention. I was furious and offended when it was revealed and it continues to this day.
The passage of the book is from an unpublished interview by Manson in 1995 with Empyrean magazine. A note from the editor in the book explains that the interview was never printed in Empyrean because the magazine’s editors “believed that the magazine had followed unethical interview procedures in order to extract information from Mr. Manson.”
Reznor and Manson were already close, with Reznor hiring him for his label Nothing Records and co-producing his first two albums. He later severed ties, and in 2009 he called Manson “a malicious guy [who] will step on anyone’s face to succeed and cross any line of decency. Seeing him now, drugs and alcohol now rule his life and he has become a stupid clown. “
Following the allegations of the five women mentioned above this week, other women alleged abuse of Manson.
Model Scarlett Kapella alleges emotional, physical and sexual abuse; musician Chloe Black alleges physical and verbal abuse; artist and filmmaker Louise Keay Bell, who had previously made accusations against the singer, reiterated her claims that he “abused me emotionally and financially”, and harassed her after the initial allegations. Fashion designer Love Bailey claims he held a Glock pistol to his head in a 2011 incident, and retailer Torii Lynn also claims that Manson abused it. Manson did not respond to these particular allegations. The Guardian contacted his management for comment.
Following this week’s allegations, Manson was released by his label Loma Vista Recordings, and removed from two American TV series in which he was supposed to appear.
Los Angeles police were called to the singer’s home on Wednesday night to check on the singer’s well-being and told the Daily Mail that there was “no evidence of any problem”.
His ex-wife Dita Von Teese made a statement after the charges, saying that she had not been abused by Manson, and that her marriage had ended due to “infidelity and drug abuse”.