Phoebe Bridgers speaks out on Marilyn Manson abuse allegations

Queer indie-rock musician Phoebe Bridgers lit into the “performative activism” of Marilyn Manson’s label on Wednesday (10 February) amid abuse accusations.

Amid allegations of abuse levelled against Manson, the pasty rock singer known off-stage as Brian Warner, Bridgers, 26, shared her own experiences as well as taking aim at his label.

The “Garden Song” hitmaker later told CNN’S Christiane Amanpour : “I think it’s very funny that Marilyn Manson’s label decided to drop him right when the story went public, and people have just known about it for so long.

.@phoebe_bridgers: “I think it’s very funny that Marilyn Manson’s label decided to drop him right when the story went public, and people have just known about it for so long. I find that very annoying. I think it’s a lot of performative activism, basically.” pic.twitter.com/CYM1lO94Nk

— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) February 10, 2021

“I find that very annoying. I think it’s a lot of performative, performative activism, basically, I think people should take more responsibility internally.

“It doesn’t matter how many people know about it, you should look into things like you’re the FBI.

“But when people make people money, it’s really hard, I know, it’s really hard to walk away from that. But I think more people should.”

Phoebe Bridgers: Marilyn Manson ‘has a rape room’

Her comments came after a two-part statement shared to Twitter last week, in which Bridgers claimed: “I went to Marilyn Manson’s house when I was a teenager with some friends.

“I was a big fan. He referred to a room in his house as the ‘rape room’, I thought it was just his horrible frat boy sense of humour.

“I stopped being a fan. I stand with everyone who came forward.

The label knew, management knew, the band knew. Distancing themselves now, pretending to be shocked and horrified is fucking pathetic.

— traitor joe (@phoebe_bridgers) February 4, 2021

“The label knew, management knew, the band knew. Distancing themselves now, pretending to be shocked and horrified is f***ing pathetic.”

After actor Evan Rachel Wood accused Manson of being abusive during their relationship in an explosive Instagram post – claiming he “groomed her” as a teen and “horrifically abused me for years” – Loma Vista, that released his latest recording, dropped him.

“I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail,” Woods, who has long spoken about being a survivor of sexual and physical violence, said.

“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.”

Her relationship with Manson went public in 2007 when she was 19 and he was 38.

“In light of today’s disturbing allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and other women naming Marilyn Manson as their abuser, Loma Vista will cease to further promote his current album, effective immediately,” Loma Vista said in a statement posted on Twitter 1 February.

“Due to these concerning developments, we have also decided not to work with Marilyn Manson on any future projects.”

Manson took to Instagram to broadly deny the allegations: “Obviously, my art and my 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.”