Rocker Manson Accused of Spitting, Blowing Snot on Woman

Marilyn Manson. (AP)
Marilyn Manson. (AP)
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Rocker Manson Accused of Spitting, Blowing Snot on Woman

Marilyn Manson. (AP)
Marilyn Manson. (AP)

Rocker Marilyn Manson approached a videographer at his 2019 concert in New Hampshire and allegedly spit and blew snot on her, according to a police affidavit released Wednesday.

Manson, whose legal name is Brian Hugh Warner, surrendered last month to police in Los Angeles in connection with a 2019 arrest warrant in the case. The allegations were detailed in the affidavit that released along with the criminal complaint in the case.

Manson is charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault stemming from an alleged incident on Aug. 19, 2019, at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford. The misdemeanor charges can each result in a jail sentence of less than a year and a $2,000 fine if convicted.

An arraignment hearing on the charges will be scheduled for Sept. 2 at Laconia District Court in New Hampshire.

Manson’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

Susan Fountain, a videographer, was in the venue’s stage pit area at the time of the alleged assault. Her company, Metronome Media, was contracted by the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion for the concert season.

According to the affidavit, Manson approached Fountain the first time, put his face close to the camera and spit a “big lougee” at her. She was struck on both hands with saliva.

Manson allegedly returned a second time, covering one side of his nostril and blowing in Fountain’s direction. Fountain put down her camera and went to the restroom to wash her hands and arms that had Manson’s bodily fluids on them.

Manson also has faced abuse accusations — unrelated to the New Hampshire incident — in recent years. He has denied wrongdoing.

In February, actor Evan Rachel Wood publicly accused Manson, her ex-fiancé, of sexual and other physical abuse, alleging she was “manipulated into submission” during their relationship. Months later, “Game of Thrones” actor Esmé Bianco sued Manson in federal court in Los Angeles, alleging sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

The AP generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, but Bianco and Wood have spoken publicly.

In 2018, Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to file charges against Manson over allegations of assault, battery and sexual assault dating to 2011, saying they were limited by statutes of limitations and a lack of corroboration. The accuser in that case was identified only as a social acquaintance of Manson.



Starry Sundance Fest Moves Ahead in Wake of LA Fires 

US actress/singer Jennifer Lopez arrives for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 15th Annual Governors Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles on November 17, 2024. (AFP)
US actress/singer Jennifer Lopez arrives for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 15th Annual Governors Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles on November 17, 2024. (AFP)
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Starry Sundance Fest Moves Ahead in Wake of LA Fires 

US actress/singer Jennifer Lopez arrives for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 15th Annual Governors Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles on November 17, 2024. (AFP)
US actress/singer Jennifer Lopez arrives for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 15th Annual Governors Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles on November 17, 2024. (AFP)

The US film industry's first big gathering since fires devastated Los Angeles will begin Thursday at the Sundance festival, where highlights include a glitzy new Jennifer Lopez musical and a dark Benedict Cumberbatch drama.

Hollywood's annual pilgrimage to the Rocky Mountains to premiere the coming year's most-anticipated indie films is taking place in somber circumstances, after the blazes that killed at least 27 people and brought the entertainment capital to a halt.

Festival chiefs held lengthy talks with filmmakers, including those "who lost homes or were displaced" by the blazes, before deciding to press ahead, said Sundance director Eugene Hernandez.

Organizers heard "harrowing stories of people running out of their homes, evacuating... with their hard drives under their arms" to ensure their films survived, he told AFP.

"Everybody to a person just wants to look forward and wants to look ahead... it'll be a nice moment of reunion and community."

Among the 88 features being screened in Utah's Park City is "Rebuilding," about a rancher who loses everything in a wildfire.

"It takes on an added poignance, for those who will watch it next week," said Hernandez.

Josh O'Connor, known for "The Crown" and "Challengers," plays the lead role.

"It's an incredible film, and one that we felt was important to show, based on that spirit of resilience," said Sundance programming director Kim Yutani.

"I think it will be a particularly moving one for people to see."

- J-Lo, Cumberbatch -

A-lister Lopez brings her first film to Sundance, with "Kiss of the Spider Woman."

From "Dreamgirls" director Bill Condon, the film is based on the Broadway adaptation of Argentine author Manuel Puig's famous novel.

Lopez plays Aurora, a silver-screen diva whose life and roles are discussed by two mismatched prisoners as they form an unlikely bond in their grim cell.

While harking back to grand Golden Age Hollywood musicals with its fabulous costumes and Lopez's "knockout musical performance," the film is a more dramatic and independent take on the genre, said Hernandez.

Cumberbatch stars in another literary adaptation, "The Thing With Feathers," based on Max Porter's experimental and poetic novel about a grieving husband and two young sons.

"It's one of these juicy roles that big actors relish taking a bite out of," said Yutani.

Family tragedy and fatherhood are also the themes of "Omaha," with John Magaro ("Past Lives") delivering "an emotional gut punch of a role" that could spell awards, according to Yutani.

Rapper A$AP Rocky and late-night host Conan O'Brien make up the eclectic cast of mystery "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You."

And "The Bear" star Ayo Edebiri teams up with John Malkovich for thriller "Opus," about a young writer investigating the mysterious disappearance of a legendary pop star.

- Music, politics -

Music is also a prominent theme of Sundance's documentary selection, which has launched several of the most recent Oscar-winning non-fiction films.

A new "must-see" Jeff Buckley documentary features never-before-seen footage from "three very important women in his life, including his mother," said Yutani.

Elegance Bratton explores the Chicago roots of house music with "Move Ya Body: The Birth of House," while Oscar-winning director Questlove examines funk pioneer Sly Stone in "Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)."

Politics will again be prominent.

Former New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern is expected in town to promote behind-the-scenes documentary "Prime Minister."

"The Jinx" director Andrew Jarecki explores violence and corruption in the US prison system with "The Alabama Solution."

And, days after the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect, Palestinian-American director Cherien Dabis will unveil her "groundbreaking" new film "All That's Left of You," which has been given a highly prominent Saturday evening premiere at Sundance's biggest venue.

"That is not an accident. This is a really special one," said Yutani.

"I have not seen a film about a Palestinian family told in quite this way."

The 2025 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 23 through February 2.