Marilyn Manson's Real Life Is Even Crazier Than The Rumors You've Probably Heard
He Was Accused Of Severing His Own Penis
Photo: Andreas Lawen, Fotandi / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Manson's actual behavior is outlandish enough, but some of the things he's been accused of are jaw-dropping. In 2003, for instance, he was arrested in Italy after a fan accused him of cutting off his genitals mid-concert and flinging them into the audience. To prove his innocence, Manson flashed the Italian police.
He Occasionally Shoplifts
Photo: Georges Biard / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Despite being worth an estimated $25 million, Manson still feels the urge to shoplift from time to time. He once stole a pair of sunglasses from the John Varvatos store - though he told them about it later, so according to Manson, it doesn't count. Manson also took a pack of spearmint gum from a CVS, which he later threw away without consuming.
His Mother May Have Had Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome
As a child, Manson was often ill. He was anemic, and suffered multiple bouts of pneumonia. His mother told him that he was allergic to a number of unusual things, including eggs and fabric softener. She also told him that his earlobes were much too long, and pressured Manson into getting plastic surgery to correct this once his career took off.
Manson claims his mother suffered from Munchausen by Proxy syndrome, a form of child abuse where the parent causes or feigns illness in their child in order to fulfill their own psychological needs. He believes he didn't actually suffer most of those illnesses and that the symptoms were caused by his mother. Manson seems to have come to terms with his childhood:
"I didn't find out about the Munchausen until later in life, and I'm not sure how far back she had it. What I can say is that mental illness runs in the family."
He And Johnny Depp Have Matching Tattoos
Photo: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation LicenseManson and actor Johnny Depp enjoy a close relationship - so close that they've performed on stage together and attempted to buy antique Nazi guns together. They also have not one, but two matching tattoos. Both have the phrase "no reason" inked onto their wrists, and "Charles Baudelaire, the flowers of evil, this giant skeleton thing" on their backs. Manson is vague about the meaning behind the ink:
"[They're] kind of a secret. People say to us, 'Why did you get that?' And we say, 'No reason.'"
Macaulay Culkin Bought Him His First Pack Of Cigarettes
Photo: Strand ReleasingIn an interview with Jay Leno, Manson talked about his time on the set of Party Monster, a 2003 film starring Macaulay Culkin. Manson had a small role in the movie as a smoking character, which presented a problem for the non-smoking musician. Luckily, Culkin was there to help him out. He bought Manson his first-ever pack of Virginia Slims Lite at a liquor store - after the ever-youthful Culkin showed his ID, of course.
Charles Manson Wrote Him A Strange Note
Photo: Sean Molin Photography / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0Manson took part of his stage name from Charles Manson, the serial killer who terrorized southern California in the 1960s. The murderer is behind bars, but in 2012 he sent Manson a bizarre postcard. The rambling note contains some vaguely threatening statements:
"It’s taken me a long time to get there from where I could touch M. Manson. Now I got a card to play - you may look into my non-profit, ATWA, and give Manson what you think he’s got coming for Air, Trees, Water, and you. Or I will pay Manson what you think Manson got coming - the music has make Manson into Abraxas Devil, and I’m SURE you would want some of what I got from what I got. It’s a far out balance."
Manson didn't respond to the convicted killer.
He Launched An Award-Winning Absinthe
Photo: daigo oliva / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0Manson has been involved in some unique business ventures, including the creation of his own brand of absinthe, Mansinthe. Like all true absinthes, it contains wormwood, and packs a hefty 66.6% proof punch. The drink won a gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The musician reportedly used to exclusively consume absinthe, but as of 2015, he claims that he's no longer drinking the stuff.
He Had A Bizarre Relationship With His Grandfather
Even before he adopted his larger-than-life stage persona, Manson's life wasn't exactly normal. As a child, Manson, then known as Brian Warner, would go down to his grandfather's basement and watch him masturbate to adult videos featuring bestiality. Manson says that he found his grandfather's predilections to be repulsive at the time, but he now empathizes with the old man because he too has been misunderstood.
His Personal Hygiene Isn't Great
Photo: louisraphael / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0Apparently, Manson's personal hygiene leaves something to be desired. In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, he said "I'm not big on showering. If anything, I do more of a 'hooker shower,' undercarriage and armpits."
Manson also claimed he doesn't often change his clothes, including his underwear.
He Has More Than 450 Scars
Photo: Marilyn Manson / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainIn his autobiography, The Long Hard Road out of Hell, Manson claims to have over 450 scars on his body. Some of these scars came from cutting himself on stage as part of his performances; others are more personal. For example, Manson reacted to a 2008 breakup by calling his ex 158 times, and cutting himself on his hands and face each time she didn't answer. Manson reflected on the incident later:
"I look back and it was a really stupid thing to do. This was intentional, this was a scarification, and this was like a tattoo. I wanted to show her the pain she put me through. It was like, 'I want you to physically see what you’ve done.' It sounds made up, but it’s completely true and I don’t give a sh*t if people believe it or not. I’ve got the scars to prove it."
He Has A Sweet Side
Photo: sebi ryffel / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0Manson can certainly be scary, but he cares about his fans. In 2015, Manson partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to make 14-year-old April Ramirez's dreams come true. Ramirez, a huge fan of Manson's work, was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Leukemia in May of that year. She got to meet Manson in July, and went to a concert where he dedicated one of his songs to her. He also gifted Ramirez one of his lipsticks.
In 2002, 16-year-old Andrew Baines, another teen with a life-threatening illness, was brought into Manson's recording studio to record backing vocals for the album The Golden Age of Grotesque.
He's A Big Fan Of Video Games
Video: YouTube
Manson has a hobby that some people might find surprising: in his spare time, he likes to play video games. Manson says that he's "pretty good at Mario Kart," and that his friend got him "this little Japanese lawyer game. It's f*cking amazing." Most likely, he means Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.
Not only does Manson like to play video games, he's also contributed to them. His songs have been used in a number of games, including The Darkness, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, and Saints Row: The Third. He even appeared as an alien character in the video game Area 51, a role he was drawn to due to his "distaste for mankind in general."
He Collects Creepy Objects
Photo: Rama / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 frDuring a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Manson gave a quick tour of his home in the Hollywood Hills. The objects he points out along the way range from the whimsical to the downright unsettling:
"There's a stack of children's books (This Little Piggy, Winnie the Pooh Meets Gopher). An unused canister of Zyklon B, the poisonous gas Hitler used to exterminate Jews. A pistol and a rifle on a coffee table. A prized clown painting done by rapist and serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Basically, it's all stuff you might expect from a guy like him."
Wal-Mart, K-Mart, And Target All Refused To Sell His Album
Due to the "inappropriate" nature of both the album cover and its content, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target all refused to stock Manson's 1998 album, Mechanical Animals. The cover featured Manson's head edited onto a naked alien's body, and the lyrics would require a parental advisory sticker. Labels Nothing and Interscope offered censorship options, like putting stickers over the alien breasts, and enclosing the whole thing in blue cellophane, but the massive retailers still refused.
He Thinks The Columbine Shooting Shut Down His Career
Video: YouTube
Warning: this clip contains strong language.
After the shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, many media outlets initially reported that the two shooters, Dylan Kleblod and Eric Harris, had been inspired by Manson's music. That was later proven false, but Manson thinks the damage was done. He says the false connection to Columbine "shut down" his career and cost him shows.
A few months after the shooting, Manson penned an op-ed for Rolling Stone about the tragedy:
"When it comes down to who's to blame for the high school murders in Littleton, Colorado, throw a rock and you'll hit someone who's guilty. We're the people who sit back and tolerate children owning guns, and we're the ones who tune in and watch the up-to-the-minute details of what they do with them. I think it's terrible when anyone dies, especially if it is someone you know and love. But what is more offensive is that when these tragedies happen, most people don't really care any more than they would about the season finale of Friends or The Real World."
