The Gilford Police Department in New Hampshire released a statement about an arrest warrant they had issued on October 8, 2019 for Brian Hugh Warner, aka Marilyn Manson, for “two counts of Class A misdemeanor Simple Assault.” According to TMZ, the alleged misdemeanors were due to an incident on August 18, 2019 in which Manson allegedly spat on a videographer during a concert.

“Mr. Warner, his agent and legal counsel have been aware of the warrant for some time and no effort has been made by him to return to New Hampshire to answer the pending charges,” Gilford PD wrote in its statement. 

They provided some additional information. The alleged assaults had occurred while Manson was playing a concert at the Bank of NH Pavilion. The videographer had been filming the concert from the stage pit area when the alleged assaults took place. Class A misdemeanors in New Hampshire can carry a jail sentence of no more than a year and a fine of up to $2,000.

The police department reminded everyone that issuing an arrest warrant does not have any bearing on whether or not someone is guilty. They also stated that in spite of the recent allegations made against Manson, “The alleged assaults are not sexual in nature.”

Manson’s attorney Howard King responded to a request for comment from Pitchfork, stating, “It is no secret to anyone who has attended a Marilyn Manson concert that he likes to be provocative on stage, especially in front of a camera. This misdemeanor claim was pursued after we received a demand from a venue videographer for more than $35,000 after a small amount of spit came into contact with their arm. After we asked for evidence of any alleged damages, we never received a reply. This whole claim is ludicrous, but we remain committed to cooperating with authorities, as we have done throughout.”

Earlier this year, Westworld actress Evan Rachel Wood came forward with allegations of grooming and alleged abuse. Several other women came forward with similar claims, including Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, model Ashley Morgan Smithline and his former assistant Ashley Walters. He was dropped by his record label, manager and talent agency following the accusations. Manson denied the allegations, calling them “horrible distortions of reality.”

Photo credit: Owen Ela