Billy Corgan Defends Friendship With Marilyn Manson
Billy Corgan, the frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins, has defended his long friendship with Marilyn Manson. He said on The New York Times Popcast on Thursday, 22 October, that he does not personally believe Manson is guilty of the allegations made against him.
Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, has faced serious allegations for years. Actor Evan Rachel Wood named him as her alleged abuser, and several other women later came forward with accusations of sexual assault and misconduct. Manson has continuously denied all abuse claims against him.
No criminal charges have followed. In January 2025, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced that Manson would not face prosecution. The reasons given were the statute of limitations, the legal deadline for bringing a case, and a lack of ways to prove the claims.
Corgan said he knows private details about the case that are not public. "I don't want the world to tell me who my friends are and who I should associate with," he said, according to Paste Magazine. He also pointed to his Christianity as a reason for staying close to Manson, as Louder reported.
The two men became friends in the 1990s and later fell out. They reunited in 2015 for the End Times Tour, a joint run of shows. Corgan also noted a family connection: Manson's wife, Lindsay Usich, has a twin sister, Ashley, who is married to James Iha, who also played in The Smashing Pumpkins.
Corgan's comments put a personal voice on a dispute that has run for years. They do not change the legal position of the case, which remains as the district attorney described it in January 2025.
