He is the lead singer and only constant member of the same-titled band he formed in The band members initially created their stage names by combining the first name of an American female sex symbol with the last name of a male serial killer.
The singer derived his name from the actress Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. The band's album Holy Wood In the Shadow of the Valley of Death is a direct response to mainstream media , who falsely blamed Manson for influencing the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre. He is widely considered one of the most controversial figures in heavy metal. In addition to the Columbine tragedy, his lyrics have been criticized by American politicians and examined in congressional hearings , with several U.
His paintings and films appeared as evidence in a murder trial , and he has been accused of inspiring several other murders and school shootings. In the U. Manson has been ranked at No. Manson made his film debut as an actor in David Lynch 's Lost Highway , and has since appeared in a variety of minor roles and cameos.
In , former partner Evan Rachel Wood accused Manson of psychological and sexual abuse, allegations he denied. Other women followed with similar accusations, with five women suing him in civil court. One of these lawsuits was withdrawn after the accuser recanted her allegations and said Wood pressured her to make false accusations against Manson.
He sued Wood for defamation, but later dropped the lawsuit after substantial portions of the suit were dismissed by Wood's anti-SLAPP motions. He agreed to pay her legal fees. A four-year criminal investigation of the abuse allegations by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department concluded in , which resulted in no charges filed against Manson due to lack of evidence.
