Trent Reznor has slammed former collaborator Marilyn Manson in the wake of allegations of abuse against the singer.
“I have been vocal over the years about my dislike of Manson as a person and cut ties with him nearly 25 years ago,” said Reznor in a statement.
The Nine Inch Nails mainman also referenced an excerpt from Manson’s 1999 autobiography, Long Hard Road Out Of Hell, in which Manson claimed he and Reznor assaulted an inebriated fan.
“As I said at the time, the passage from Manson’s memoir is a complete fabrication,” said Reznor. “I was infuriated and offended back when it came out and remain so today.”
The pair relationship dates back to the 1990s, when Reznor signed Manson to his label, Nothing Records, and co-produced his first two albums, Portrait Of An American Family and Antichrist Superstar.
After falling out with Manson in the mid-90s, Reznor distanced himself from the singer. “[He’s] a malicious guy and will step on anybody’s face to succeed and cross any line of decency,” Reznor told Mojo in 2009.
Manson‘s former fiancé Evan Rachel Wood has accused the singer of abusing her during their relationship in the late 00s.
In an Instagram post, Wood said: “He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission.
“I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
In the wake of her post, several other women shared their own allegations of abuse at the hands of Manson. The singer was subsequently dropped by his label, Loma Vista.
Manson's accusers also received support from his former fiancé, Rose MacGowan, who posted on Instagram, saying, "I stand with Evan Rachel Wood and other brave women who have come forward. It takes years to recover from abuse and I send them strength on their journey to recovery. Let the truth be revealed. Let the healing begin."
In a subsequent development, California State Senator Susan Rubio called for Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson and FBI director Christopher Wray to investigate the allegations made against Manson.
Manson has taken to Instagram to refute the allegations, saying, "Obviously my art and life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how – and why – others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth."
