It’s Time to Face the Music: Time is Up for Brian Warner (Marilyn Manson) and the Profiteers that Protected Him for Years
(New York, NY) – Today, on behalf of courageous survivor Jane Doe, attorneys from the law firms of Jeff Anderson & Associates and co-counsel Karen Barth Menzies, filed a lawsuit against Brian Warner, known publicly as Marilyn Manson. The complaint details the sexual assault and rape of Jane Doe, starting when she was only 16 years old and continuing for years, into adulthood.
“This lawsuit goes beyond the named predator and targets the record labels that packaged and profited from their artist’s criminal behavior, and it is an indictment of the music industry for maintaining a culture that celebrates, protects, and enables sexual predators.” – attorney Karen Barth Menzies
New Laws Allow Survivors to Take Legal Action
The complaint was filed under the New York Adult Survivors Act, a new law that temporarily allows survivors of adult sexual abuse to file civil cases that were previously barred by the statute of limitations. The law provides a one-year window for New York survivors who were sexually abused as adults to take legal action until November 24, 2023.
Similarly, a new law in California, called the Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act (AB 2777) allows survivors who were sexually assaulted as adults in a chance to take legal action. AB 2777 allows survivors of sexual assault in California to bring a civil action until December 31, 2026.
“Brian Warner and his promoters are now held to answer for decades of decadence, violence, predation, and intimidation” said attorney Jeff Anderson.
Interscope Records & Nothing Records are Finally Held Accountable
Interscope Records and Nothing Records are named as defendants, for protecting, promoting, and profiteering from Warner’s criminal conduct.
Background
Early 1990’s
Warner described his working relationship with Nothing Records and its founder, Trent Reznor, as beginning in the early 1990’s at the infamous Hollywood Hills home where Charles Manson’s disciples murdered pregnant movie star Sharon Tate. According to Warner’s 1998 autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, Warner boasted that he and his friend Reznor sexually abused a woman and the next day, Reznor told Warner that, “he was starting his own label through Interscope Records called Nothing Records, and he wanted “Marilyn Manson” to be the first band on it.” Marilyn Manson was the first band signed to Nothing Records’ label. [see page 4 of the lawsuit.]
“For too long, music industry predators have hidden in plain sight, believing they are above the law,” said attorney Jeff Anderson. “Today, we are demanding Warner face retribution, so he knows he will no longer escape his day in court. This is a day of reckoning.”
Promotion of Warner’s Pedophilia & Distribution of Inappropriate Fliers to Kids
The lawsuit describes in detail how record labels and executives gave Warner license to reach, recruit, record, and violate vulnerable youth.
Warner, his band, and promoters provided children with leaflets and images that were tied to symbols relating to violence, sexual assault, and Satan. One flier contained the lyrics, “I am the pedophile’s dream.” [see page 6 of the lawsuit.]
Some fliers mentioned a hotline, called the “Marilyn Manson Salvation Hotline”. Warner created said hotline as a platform for kids to send deviant and exploitive pictures of themselves to Warner. Warner’s obsession with violence, child pornography and sodomy continued. [see page 8 of the lawsuit.]
Warner and his band also created and promoted a “fan club” called “Satan’s Bakesale.” Through the fan club, fans of any age could buy merchandise and communicate directly with the band through telephone or mail. The mail was used to transmit sexually explicit images of children. [see page 9 of the lawsuit.]
On February 5, 1995, Interscope Records and Nothing Records released Lunchbox, the second single from Manson’s album Portrait of an American Family. On the sleeve of the single, the liner notes describe Warner as a “Rape Machine”. Both record labels continued to book “all ages” shows, while Warner and his band continued to perform lewd and lascivious acts onstage with underage fans in the audience. [see page 10 of the lawsuit.]
The Courage of Jane Doe to Stand Up & Demand Justice
“Jane Doe is standing up not only for herself, but for so many others,” said attorney Karen Barth Menzies. “Silence is violence.”
1995: Sexual Assault of Jane Doe Begins at Age 16
In 1995, Jane Doe attended an all-ages concert where Warner performed with his band. Both Interscope Records and Nothing Records marketed and promoted the show. After the show, Jane Doe met Warner, and he asked her for her home address and phone number, claiming he wanted to send her promotional material from his fan club. While on the tour bus, Defendant Warner performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon Plaintiff, who was a virgin at the time. Warner threatened Plaintiff that, if she told anyone about the abuse, he would kill her and her family. [see page 15 of the lawsuit.]
1995 – 1999: Sexual Assault of Jane Doe Continues
Warner’s sexual assault, manipulation, and intimidation of Jane Doe – in plain sight – continued for multiple years, into Jane Doe’s adulthood. Jane Doe was put in touch with Chris Vrenna, drummer of Reznor’s band Nine Inch Nails. Vrenna encouraged her to move to Los Angeles and they began dating. Vrenna had a close association with Warner and was a credited member of the production team on Marilyn Manson albums before he joined the Marilyn Manson band as its keyboardist and drummer from 2004-2011. At this time, Jane Doe had not recovered from the original childhood sexual assaults and grooming by Warner. She was still addicted to drugs and alcohol that she used to self-medicate. Under these circumstances, Jane Doe was lured into Warner’s dark world of drugs, alcohol, sexual deviance, harassment, abuse and assault. [see page 18 of the lawsuit.]
Jane Doe traveled to numerous cities and states, including New York. At each event, Warner and his band brought her backstage and on the bus. During this period, Jane Doe encountered Warner virtually every day. Warner and his associates provided drugs to Jane Doe, and Warner continued to groom, harass and sexually abuse her. [see page 19 of the lawsuit.]
“We proudly stand with her and the other courageous survivors using the new laws to expose the perils, to expose the industry practices that profit from and promote sexual violence against the vulnerable, and the executives in the industry who profit from it and turn a blind eye.” – Jeff Anderson
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON BRIAN WARNER/MARILYN MANSON’S VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, ADULTS OR CHILDREN, OR OTHER PREDATORS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, PLEASE REPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND/OR,
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