I freaking love writing about Marilyn Manson. You know why? Because no matter how messed up my life is, I feel completely sane and boring next to him. And I assume that applies to most of you dear readers too. In fact if any of you feel crazier than he is, feel free to email me, because I want to know what the hell is wrong with you. Marilyn got sued for $20 million a few months ago by his former keyboardist Stephen Bier - nee Madonna Wayne Gacy – for misappropriating band funds. Or as they call it in rock and roll, “Blowing your wad on hookers and heroin.” Gacy accused Manson of frittering money away on such oddities as a taxidermied grizzly bear, vintage Nazi paraphernalia, and African masks made from human skin. [I just have to interrupt to say that as a former criminology major, that was an extra funny sentence to write. If I could have gotten Dahmer or Bundy in there, my life would be complete]. Gacy also claims that Manson used band funds to pay for his pricey wedding to Dita Von Teese, her $150,000 engagement ring, Manson’s drugs, and the expensive rehab for said drugs.

Manson has filed a countersuit against Gacy, claiming that he didn’t fulfill his contractual obligations to the band, even though their business partnership ended 11 years ago. Manson claims that Gacy didn’t properly promote the band.

Bier often showed up late for recording sessions, performances and promotional appearances, and handed confidential info over to the media and other outsiders without the band’s permission, says the complaint filed in L.A. Superior Court. When it became obvious in 1996 that Manson had become the group’s leader and focal point, he and Bier dissolved their business partnership, but the keyboardist continued to collect income from the group’s album royalties, concerts and merchandise sales, the suit says.

Bier played on all of the band’s studio albums except for this year’s Eat Me, Drink Me. Contracts spelled out Bier’s obligations to the band, but he “failed to render services to the best of his ability and in a practical and cooperative manner,” Manson claims.

[From E! News]

Well that was a lovely bunch of vague legal jargon. Somehow I don’t really side with either party in this whole affair. While it definitely sounds like Gacy might have gotten cheated out of funds, he did wait an awfully long time to do anything about it. Marilyn Manson definitely seems to feel that Gacy owes him a lot.

When he learned that Bier had gone after him in court, Manson told MTV News in denying the allegations that he had no idea why this was happening. “I don’t have an explanation for it,” the “Beautiful People” purveyor said. “It just seems like another ex-bandmember suing me and trying to assassinate my personality as a means to financial gain, and it just seems old. It’s just not fair. If I spent my money on anything, it was my family, and paying his salary for a year when we weren’t even touring.”

[From E! News]

So pretty much just the usual man-diva problems. I wonder if they had hissy fits in the dressing room, where they’d go all Liza on each other and throw crystal vases filled with roses. But let’s be realistic, it’s Marilyn Manson, so it’d be crystal vases filled with black roses. Or dead roses. Or taxidermied kittens. It sounds like most of Gacy’s argument isn’t focused so much on “he spent group money” as it is on “he spent group money on really creepy things.” And if you find just one bear lover on that jury, I guarantee you Gacy will win. Just like most trials.

It really isn’t possible to write a tasteful story about Marilyn Manson. It isn’t really possible to write anything about Marilyn Manson that most sane individuals wouldn’t find pretty offensive. So here we go, adding to the pile. A logical person – with nothing better to do – would likely spend a good deal of time wondering exactly how Marilyn Manson got to be the way he is. I have one word for you: genetics. Or to get all Freudian: Mother. Although considering Marilyn Manson’s mother raised him, I guess you could also say nurturing was the problem. So basically, nature, nurture, and his mom are the reasons Marilyn Manson is eight kinds of f-ed up. Would you like a specific example? Well it seems that Barb Warner - aka Mrs. Manson – kept young Marilyn’s (he was known by the slightly-less-creepy Brian then) foreskin after he was circumcised. In a jar. I know some parents save baby teeth, some save locks of hair, I get that parents like to save parts of their children’s bodies. But there is a line between a molar and a foreskin. That’s the 5th weirdest sentence I’ve ever written.

Marilyn Manson is hoping to one day make a fortune from a childhood souvenir - his foreskin. The shock rocker’s mother, Barb Warner, has long been rumored to have kept the foreskin from his circumcision in a small jar - and Manson admits it is all true, even joking about the potential value of such an item.

He says, “It’s in more of a contact lens case, kind of like a shriveled up Lifesaver . If she ever came here, she would wave it around. We’re hoping Sotheby’s one day.”

[From Starpulse]

Well I guess we know where he gets his sense of humor/sense of perversity from. Though I did chuckle at the Sotheby’s line. I’ve heard of a serial killer who kept their fingernail clippings in a jar. I’m pretty sure that this is much, much worse. I’d instruct Barb Warner’s local police department to keep a very close eye on her. I’d also fake a warrant and insist on digging up her whole yard – just to be on the safe side. Next time I criticize Marilyn Manson for his collection of Chinese skeletons and shriveled baby heads, I’m going to remind myself that it’s not 100% his fault. Somehow keeping the bones of a complete stranger seems less upsetting than the foreskin of your own son.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood are shown trying to hide beneath a green velvet blanket outside the Led Zeppelin concert on 12/10/07. It also looks like Manson throws water on the photographer. He must be pissed because he’s not wearing makeup. Thanks to PRPhotos.

After hearing all the stories about Marilyn Manson over the years – the type urban legends are made from, only true – nothing should really shock us about him anymore. It’s gotta suck for Manson. What in the world could he possibly say anymore that would be interesting? What’s as morbidly fascinating as finding out (through legal documents no less, so you know it’s gotta be true) that he has the skeleton of a Chinese man that he keeps in an old wheelchair? Well nothing is. But it is somewhat interesting to find out that baboons seem to play quite the reoccurring theme in Manson’s life. Manson was on the BBC’s “Graham Norton Show” last night, where he told the story of taking some ecstasy and at the zoo and ending up in a baboon’s cage.

Controversial rocker Marilyn Manson ended up sharing a cage with a baboon after taking an ecstasy pill. Manson found himself face to face with the ape after taking the drug in a zoo in Florida. He said: “It was the first time I saw a baboon face to face. They said whatever you do don’t look him in the eye so that’s all I could do. They actually let me in. Some irresponsible bastard said lets put Marilyn Manson on ecstasy in a cage with a red arse baboon.”

[From Showbizspy]

That’s definitely in one of the top three bizarre drug stories I’ve ever heard. Really, that could only happen to a select few, because how many people have access to a baboon? Marilyn didn’t give any indication of when this interaction took place. However he has also stated that he’s in a legal custody war with ex-wife Dita Von Teese over their collection of taxidermied animals – which includes four baboons. I can’t help but wonder which came first: the ecstasy or the taxidermy? Talk about a question for the ages.

While on the “Graham Norton Show,” Manson also informed the host that he’s hoping to get a tattoo on his penis.

He said: “I wanted to put a tattoo, if I would get one there, that would say buyer beware.”

Manson sparked controversy by comparing troubled singer Amy Winehouse to a can of soured fermented herring. The Swedish delicacy has a pungent odor described as combining rotten eggs, rancid butter and vinegar. Manson said it was like “Amy Winehouse in a can” but quickly withdrew the harsh remark saying “I didn’t mean to say that” on the Graham Norton Show.

[From Showbizspy]

I don’t want to nitpick, but to look at him, Marilyn Manson doesn’t exactly strike me as someone who’s likely to smell of Polo Sport. He seems like one of those “bathing optional” types. Though all that thick white makeup must be hell on his skin. It seems a little odd that he’d take back his comment since the man thrives on shock and attention. Though frankly, until he made that derogatory comment, I would have thought Amy Winehouse was just his type.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Marilyn at the Nightmare Before Christmas 3D World Premiere last October. Images thanks to PR Photos. Header of Manson and Nigella Lawson on the ‘Graham Norton Show’ last night. Images thanks to Splash Photos.

Marilyn Manson is undeniably strange as a stage persona, but I thought that was all it was. Turns out his weirdness extends to his private life as Brian. It seems he’s been using band funds (Marilyn Manson is actually the band’s name too, for those of you not in the know) to fund his private collection of human remains. He’s being sued by his former keyboardist, Madonna Wayne Gracy, for monies owing.

Madonna Wayne Gacy - real name Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. - made the revelation in new legal papers added to his existing lawsuit against the singer, in which he accuses the star of failing to pay him during his time in the band. Bier filed the original lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in August (07), in which he claims Manson squandered his band’s earnings on “sick and disturbing” Nazi memorabilia and a skeleton of a young Chinese girl, among other unusual items.

Contact Music

Manson apparently found a shop that was well stocked in ‘sick and disturbing’ merchandise, as Bier says Manson also bought a skeleton of a man in a wheelchair, and masks made of human skin. I wonder how much they cost…

Beir also claims that Manson’s girlfriend, Evan Rachel Wood, received the “highest salary ever paid to any actress in any music video in history” for her role in Heart Shaped Glasses. While for the most part Wood gazes up at Manson adoringly through – what else? – heart shaped glasses, the beginning of the video features her having simulated sex with Manson. I’m guessing her enormous salary was basically just Manson’s way of getting a girl topless near him, as he hadn’t been able to win her over with his collection of human remains.

Marilyn Manson is obviously looking for a new career where he doesn’t need to share the proceeds - this time he’s going to break records. The first one he’s going to try, and possibly the last, is bathing with rattlesnakes. The current record, held by ‘Texas Snakeman’ Jackie Bibby, is sharing the tub with 87 snakes for 45 minutes. The secret to bathing with snakes is to move very slowly, according to Jackie.

Note by Celebitchy: The story about Marilyn Manson collecting bizarre memorabilia came out in August, but new papers were filed in the lawsuit by his old bandmate, with the revelation about the skeleton in the wheelchair and the human skin masks.

Marilyn Manson is shown out to dinner with Evan Rachel Wood on 9/9/07 in Toronto during the Toronto Film Festival, thanks to Splash News.

Re-making Barbarella? This is surely going to put you in the naughty chair next to the guy who tried to remake King Kong. Robert Rodriguez is going to try, and he’s casting his girlfriend in the lead role. Which probably puts him in the naughty chair as he already has a wife!

A highly reliable source tells Elle.com exclusively that Rose McGowan is slipping into a fur bikini and major bouffant to take on the title role in the remake of Barbarella. Robert Rodriguez, who left his wife after falling for McGowan on the Grindhouse set, is directing and has cast his love in the part made famous by Jane Fonda. While the rumor mill placed everyone from Halle Berry to Kate Beckinsale and Nicole Kidman in the role of Queen of the Galaxy, it seems he’s found the perfect Barbarella in McGowan.

elle.com

Rose McGowan could make her big comeback in the film – not she ever really went away, it’s just it seems some people have found her unrecognisable.

McGowan, 34, has admitted to having plastic surgery for an eye injury related to a car accident. But casting skeptics suspect she has had much more done, and that it cost her the role.

“The studio felt like she was hard to recognize and worried that by the time the movie hit theaters, fans might not know who she was,” says our insider.

A rep for the actress said “she was not pursuing this role.”

NY Daily News

While I sympathise that someone who first became famous for dating Marilyn Manson may want to change their appearance, I actually think she hasn’t had any work done, certainly not enough to make her unrecognisable. She always looked pretty strange to me, even standing next to that weird goth type Manson.

Note by Celebitchy: Rodriguez and McGowan are now engaged, and he is in the process of a divorce. I think she had a lot of work done.

Who says someone who was once crazy is always crazy? Evan Rachel Wood, aka Marilyn Manson’s girlfriend/[I had a bunch of really specific, filthy names to stick here, but I thought better of it] has decided to get her weird, completely indecipherable tattoo repaired. Why would she do this, you ask? Doesn’t Marilyn Manson encourage unnecessarily weird things? Why yes he does, but apparently even he can’t stop Evan Rachel Wood from fixing a bunch of leaves that appear to look like a ferret. I bet Manson totally gets off on that.

“Evan Rachel Wood says she enjoyed filming ‘Across the Universe’ so much, she had a tattoo inked in tribute to the Beatles-themed musical romance. Now the 20-year-old actress plans to get the tattoo covered up ‘because nobody can figure out what it is,’ she tells People magazine in its Oct. 8 issue.

“‘It’s supposed to be a strawberry with leaves in the shape of a bird, but everybody says, `Is that a ferret sticking out of an apple?’”

[From the Associated Press]

Yeah, ferrets and apples are just totally stupid, bizarre, and flat out un-sexy. Now Marilyn Manson’s skeleton of a little Chinese boy is totally normal though. I find it unusual that she’s drawn the line where she has, but whatever. And what about Wood’s other tattoos, you ask?

“Wood says she has three tattoos. Her favorite is the one she received on Valentine’s Day from her boyfriend, 38-year-old goth rocker Marilyn Manson.

“‘It’s a lightning bolt - for David Bowie, who inspired me to act and sing - and a black heart,’ she says. ‘That was my present (from Manson). Somebody came to the house. We both got black hearts. It represents mad love.’

“Wood says her parents aren’t OK with the tattoos.

“‘It took me a while to tell my mom about this last one,’ she says. ‘But she’s cool with it now. I even told her I was getting the Beatles one covered up. She’s like, `Great, just call me when you’re done.’”

[From the Associated Press]

That last part really leaves you wondering… how exactly does one introduce a nearly-twice-your-age Marilyn Manson to your parents? “Mom, this is Marilyn, Marilyn, this is my mom Marilyn.” That’d make me happy if Evan Rachel Wood’s mom’s name really was Marilyn. I don’t want to sound like a fussy old grandma… but I’m close enough already, so I’ll just say that Marilyn Manson is so gross. If my daughter brought him home, I would have a bounty on his fake white pasty face before he even took off his coat. Alright grandma’s done. For now.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Evan Rachel Wood is shown on 9/10/07 at the Toronto Film Festival, thanks to PRPhotos. Picture of Wood’s tattoo is from EvanRachelWood.info.

Evan Rachel Wood, Marilyn Manson’s 19 year old girlfriend, says one of the most romantic moments of her life involved blood raining over her in the music video for Manson’s “Heart-Shaped Glasses.” “’At the end of the video, we’re kissing and it’s raining blood – and for me, that was one of the most romantic moments of my entire life.’” Well it’s hard to argue with an obvious statement like that. Who wouldn’t find that touchingly romantic? Probably whoever had to clean up that blood. I hope it wasn’t real blood, but with Marilyn Manson, that hope is probably wasted. Wood sure seems to think that Manson is the bee’s knees. That’s right; I used a 1940’s colloquialism. It’s the only thing I could say to even out macabre in this story.

“Evan Rachel Wood’s inspiration to make a sex video with her boyfriend, rocker Marilyn Manson, was to ‘show that it’s okay to have different, weird ideas about romance.’

“‘We made it for each other … Because that’s how we were feeling at the time: Even though ugliness can be all around you – you can literally be in a thunderstorm of blood – if you look past that, it really is just two people holding on to each other.

“‘And you know, the same thing with the sex scene. If you’re going to have a sex scene, that’s what it is,’ Wood continues. ‘When you’re with someone and you’re in love, that’s usually what happens. It’s not always soft. Sometimes it’s somebody screaming or whatever.’”

[From People]

Well I’d agree with her that it’s “okay to have different, weird ideas about romance’” – mine isn’t quite so much the blood raining from the sky thing, but to each his own I guess. You’d probably have to get used to stuff like that if you want to date Marilyn Manson. I don’t know why you’d want to date Marilyn Manson, but that’s one of his prerequisites. Instead of flowers, he probably brings Rachel dead birds and leaves them on the doorstep. Wait, no that’s what cats do. Did you also know that Manson has an absolutely adorable side? Well according to Wood at least.

“The self-described ‘shy, painfully shy’ teen says that her ‘healthy, loving’ relationship with Manson, 38, would surprise people – as would how loudly he snores, which, she says, in fact lulls her to sleep.

“’For the first time’ she says, ‘I really feel like I’m around somebody and in an environment where I can just let go and not worry about being judged. And I’m sorry if I have blond hair and blue eyes and my boyfriend looks like a vampire. What do you want me to do about it?’”

[From People]

I hope that last part was taken out of context. Why would you apologize for having blond hair? Is she apologizing that she and Manson look so different, or is it that she looks so innocent compared to him? Evan Rachel Wood strikes me as someone who doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together. She just seems vapid. Either she and Marilyn Manson are incredibly similar, or she’s just an empty vessel that he’s been able to fill up with his own personality. Something tells me that the “painfully shy” actress didn’t take showers in blood before she met him. That’s not good for your blond hair.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Marilyn Manson in concert in 2005, and an undated scary photo. You can see how the ladies can’t resist. Header of Evan Rachel Wood at the Hollywood Awards Gala in November 2006. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Marilyn Manson’s former keyboard player is suing Manson, claiming he improperly used the band’s fund to make some extravagant and bizarre purchases. Stephen Bier, who performed under the stage name Madonna Wayne Gacy, says that he wasn’t paid his fair share over a nearly twenty year period with the band. According to Bier, Manson told him the band was not nearly as financially profitable as it was, and then went on a two year spending spree.

“From 2004 to 2006, he claims, the gothic rocker used band money to buy a $2 million home and collect Nazi memorabilia, including coat hangers used by Adolf Hitler.

“Manson also bought “African masks made of human skin, the full skeleton of a four-year-old Chinese girl, and the full skeleton of a 17th Century male in a wheelchair,” according to the legal papers.

“Other items included $450,000 for an engagement ring and wedding to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese.”

[From BBC News]

Bier claims that the band’s lawyer and business managers cut off his band credit cards and salary at Manson’s behest. He also suffered medical problems related to his work, which the band refused to pay for.

“’Because of Manson and others’ fraudulent conduct, Bier has spent almost two decades working for one of the world’s most popular rock bands that has made millions of dollars in profit and now has almost nothing to show for it,’ the papers [lawsuit] conclude.”

[From BBC News]

Manson responded by telling MTV News that Bier’s claims were ridiculous.

“’The fact that he’s claiming that I’ve treated him unfairly, financially, is really ridiculous. And I would never spend my money on a Chinese girl skeleton. That would be crossing the line. It’s a Chinese boy, for the record.’”

[From Daily India]

Marilyn Manson is so bizarre that it’s hard to put much of anything past him. Remember that thing a few months ago with Keith Richards saying he snorted his dad’s ashes? Marilyn retorted by telling him that he sprinkled ashes onto his ice cream. Okay that’s not true. But he’s so bizarre that you could say just about anything about the guy, and people would believe it. I mean he didn’t deny the Chinese skeleton… though that was a slightly funny retort. But either way, this is a guy who “was given the title of ‘Reverend Manson’ by Church of Satan founder, Anton LaVey.” He also fancies himself an artist, and supposedly used some of the band’s money to purchase a gallery to display his own work. Who knows if Stephen Bier, I mean Madonna Wayne Gacy, has a leg to stand on. If not, I’m sure Manson has a few legs he can offer.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Marilyn Manson when he was still with Dita Von Teese at the Chanel Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on 5/2/2005. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Marilyn Manson’s ex-wife Dita Von Teese has come out with this statement…

“Amateur pornography is a great thing. You can find something for everyone on the Internet,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

She insists that she is just like other people who like watching others having sex.

“As long as no one’s hurting anyone or involving children, then hey, what’s wrong with that? People love watching people having sex. I’m no different,” Von Teese said.

MedIndia

Does she have an opinion on when it involves animals? Just kidding. Really, what Dita Von Teese does is just a sort of porn (okay, it’s arty porn, but she’s still naked or provocative, and fabulously sexy) so you could hardly expect her to be against it, would you?

Dita Von Teese’s replacement, Marilyn Manson’s new girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood has come out and said this about her relationship with MM.

Wood says, “I’ve seen blogs . . . that say I should be condemned to death simply because I’ve fallen in love. Surely the fact that we are both prepared to go through all this proves just how important — and real — our love is, no? Everyone is so worried that I’m losing myself, but really I’m finding myself. I’ve never been more comfortable in my own skin.”

Miami Herald

I always feel kind of bad for the other woman, and she seems to suffer by far more slurs than the husband. Evan Rachel Wood wasn’t the married one. It’s like Angelina Jolie always gets to be the bad guy who ’stole’ Brad, Jennifer gets to be the career driven bitch who denied Brad kids, and he is some kind of innocent bystander. Relationships fall apart, sometimes just because you’re bored. Although I’m pretty sure life with Marilyn manson could be many things, but boring isn’t the adjective that comes to mind.

Update by Celebitchy: There’s a completely unsubstantiated rumor going around that Evan Rachel Wood is pregnant with Marilyn Manson’s spawn, and I think spawn is the right term considering it’s Manson we’re talking about.

Dita Von Teese is shown in the header photo at the Mac Viva Glam Aids fundraiser on 6/27/2007. I thought it was a fitting picture for obvious reasons. Thanks to PRPhotos.

I really don’t know much about Evan Rachel Wood apart from the fact that she was supposedly dating Ed Norton this spring, but the 19 year-old actress is said to be dating recently separated 38 year-old shock rocker Marilyn Manson. Ed Norton is 36, so she must go for older weird guys:

Rocker Marilyn Manson is romantically involved with 19-year-old actress Evan Rachel Wood, sources close to the situation tell PEOPLE.

The sources say his relationship with the Thirteen actress was a factor in the Dec. 29 divorce filing by Von Teese, 34, Manson’s wife of one year.

“Dita is heartbroken, she didn’t see this coming,” says a source close to the burlesque dancer and MAC cosmetics model. “His partying contributed to the split as well.”

Manson, 38, and Wood have been friends for some time. According to his official website, Manson first met Wood when he asked her to be in his upcoming horror film, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.

If Manson was cheating with a 19 year-old that’s cold. Still, I have such inexplicable contempt for Dita that I suspect that this just isn’t true and that someone in her camp leaked the story to make Manson look bad. It seems like all the news that’s come out about their divorce has been strictly in her favor. Maybe she is the one getting shafted in this relationship, but since she’s the person that filed the papers yet all the gossip rags paint Manson as the guilty party it seems that there’s something quite calculated about the way she’s handling it.

There may be something to this story, though. Manson opened a Hollywood art gallery on Halloween of last year. Among the art by Manson displayed was a huge watercolor of a close-up portrait of Evan Rachel Wood. Wood and Manson met when he asked her to be in his planned horror film Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.