Marilyn Manson was fined $1,200 and sentenced to 20 hours of community service after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge for blowing his nose on a concert videographer.
Initially, Manson was charged with two misdemeanors for allegedly blowing his nose and spitting on videographer Susan Fountain during a performance at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford in 2019. Manson pleaded no contest to the first misdemeanor (nose-blowing) in a negotiated plea deal, with the second one (spitting) tossed out.
Manson requested to appear in court remotely via video, but a New Hampshire judge forced the shock rocker to appear in person in the Laconia courtroom about 30 miles north of the state capital of Concord. He was dressed head-to-toe in black and addressed himself by his legal name, “Brian Warner,” and made no statement, only replying “Yes” to the judge’s questions about the proceedings.
As reported by ABC News, the judge called Manson’s act “egregious” and sentenced him to a fine of just over $1,400 (with $200 of that amount suspended) and community service. The judge will allow Manson to serve his 20 hours of community service in California by February 4th, 2024. Speaking to reporters, Manson said he “might choose to work with people in recovery.”
As part of the deal, Manson needs to remain arrest-free and must notify New Hampshire authorities if he plans on performing in the state over the next two years.
The plaintiff, Fountain, did not appear in court, but did offer a statement that was read aloud in the courtroom:
“For me, I’m a professional person and I’ve been in this industry for 30 years. I’ve worked for a lot of companies, and in all the years I’ve worked with people, I’ve never been humiliated or treated the way I was by this defendant,” it read. “For him to spit on me and blow his nose on me was the most disgusting thing a human being has ever done.
“I understand this was not a big criminal charge to begin with, but I was hoping that the defendant would receive a sentence that would make him think twice before doing something like this again.”
The sentence concludes another of Manson’s many legal embroilments. Back in January, a judge tossed out model Ashley Morgan Smithline’s lawsuit against Manson, who settled a separate lawsuit involving sexual assault charges brought on by Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco.
Back in May, Manson’s defamation suit against former partner Evan Rachel Wood — who went public with accusations of sexual and psychological abuse by Manson during their relationship — was mostly tossed out by a judge. Manson is appealing the ruling.