Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has spoken about his friendship with Marilyn Manson, and explained why he has stood behind Manson in the face of the on-going sexual assault lawsuits which the singer faces.
In 2021, more than a dozen woman accused Manson of sexual abuse/sexual assault, in the wake of allegations made by actress Evan Rachel Wood, who shared revelations of her “horrific”time with her former partner in the HBO documentary Phoenix Rising.
Manson made out-of-court settlements with Game Of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco, and another woman, known only as 'Jane Doe' who had accused him of rape. Another lawsuit filed by Ashley Morgan Smithline was withdrawn and recanted.
Manson is set to face a jury trial on November 15, 2027 to answer charges brought by his former personal assistant, Ashley Walters. Another case filed by actress Bianca Allaine Kyne is still pending. In a statement made to Rolling Stone in 2024, Kyne said, “For years, I lived under his shadow, paralyzed by fear. But that fear no longer controls me. It has been replaced by an unwavering pursuit of justice. I stand tall, unafraid. This is not just about my personal story. This is about exposing an industry that prioritizes profit over the safety of vulnerable young women.”
The LADA’s Sex Crimes Division investigated other claims made against Manson, but elected not to press charges, referencing issues with the statute of limitations.
Manson, real name Brian Warner, has denied all accusations against him.
In a new episode of the New York Times' podcast Popcast, Billy Corgan discusses his friendship with Manson, which has endured regardless of the allegations made against the singer, when asked "How do you make determinations of the degree to which they should be in your life and you should be in their lives?"
"That's a valid question," Corgan replies. "I think that ultimately, as a Christian person - how can I put it? - you have to stand by your friends. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion, and that doesn’t mean you’re not critical. In his case - and I’m not here to adjudicate it - but the DA looked at the case for five years. In some cases, I knew personal things behind the scenes that are not in the public sphere. I personally didn’t feel that he was guilty of the things he was being charged with, and ultimately, the fact that the DA didn’t pursue it.
"Basically, the person that I knew, and the way it all kind of went down, even though it was an elongated process, was commensurate with the person that I knew,"Corgan continues. "It all kind of lined up. But, I wasn’t there. I can’t be there for everything. But I guess it’s one of those things where I don’t, I don’t want the world to tell me who my friends are and who I should associate with. That’s politically, socially, and in Brian’s case, we have a relationship that goes back close to 30 years."
Corgan goes on to point out that Manson's wife Lindsay Usich has a twin sister [Ashley Usich-Iha] who is married to Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, adding,"there’s a deeper set of relationships there."
"I think anybody in that situation struggles with the accusations," he continues, "the seriousness of the accusations, but again, I also knew the inside baseball of the case. I knew certain people who are involved, and so you make those evaluations. At the end of the day, I feel I made the right determination, but if things had come out… Like, people would ask me privately, ‘Well, what happens if…’ and I’d say, If he’s guilty, or anybody in that situation is guilty, they should go to jail."
"I’m not saying I have any moral supremacy here," Corgan concludes. "I’m saying it’s a case-by-case basis. But I don’t like the idea of… this kind of witch mob thing bothers me."
In the wake of the allegations against Manson, the star was dropped by his management and record label. He has since been signed by Nuclear Blast, released two albums, toured with Five Finger Death Punch and more.
The singer is set to support Slipknot at Wembley Stadium in July 2027.
Watch the full Popcast podcast below.
