LACONIA, N.H. - Marilyn Manson was sentenced to 20 hours of community service and a fine on Monday after pleading no contest to blowing his nose on a videographer at a 2019 concert in New Hampshire.
The shock rocker, 54, wanted to appear via video for his hearing on the misdemeanor charge, but the judge required him to be in the courtroom in Laconia, about 30 miles north of Concord, the state capital.
Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault stemming from the encounter with the videographer at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford on Aug. 19, 2019.
Manson pleaded no contest to just the nose-blowing charge in a fully negotiated plea agreement with prosecutors. The prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other charge, which alleged that he spit on the videographer. A no contest plea means Manson is not contesting the charge and does not admit guilt.
Manson was fined a little more than $1,400 as part of the deal, with $200 suspended. He needs to remain arrest-free and notify local police of any New Hampshire performances for two years.
The judge agreed to allow Manson to serve his community service in California. He mentioned to reporters that he might choose to work with people in recovery. Manson has to give proof of his community service by Feb. 4.
In May, a California judge threw out key sections of Manson's lawsuit against his former fiancee, “Westworld” actor Evan Rachel Wood, claiming she fabricated public allegations that he sexually and physically abused her during their relationship and encouraged other women to do the same. He is appealing the ruling.
Manson's suit, filed last year, alleges that Wood and another woman named as a defendant, Illma Gore, defamed Manson, intentionally caused him emotional distress and derailed his career in music, TV and film.
Several women have sued Manson in recent years with allegations of sexual and other abuse. Most have been dismissed or settled, including a suit filed by "Game of Thrones" actor Esme Bianco.
According to a police affidavit on the New Hampshire incident, Manson approached videographer Susan Fountain in the venue's stage pit area, put his face close to her camera and spit a "big lougee" at her. She was struck on both hands with saliva. He approached her again later, kneeling and covering one nostril before blowing the other on her arms and hands.
Fountain said via a statement that it "the most disgusting thing a human being could have done."
Manson "blows a significant amount of mucous at Fountain," a police sergeant who reviewed concert video footage said in the affidavit. After that, the camera view changes to another one and you can see Manson "point and laugh at Fountain as she gets down and walks away," the affidavit said.
Monday, Manson walked into the main entrance of the courthouse, through security. He was wearing a suit, dressed head to toe in black, and dark sunglasses. Security staff referred to him as "Mr. Warner," and he identified himself in court as "Brian Warner," using a soft speaking voice.
He otherwise only answered “yes” to the judge's questions asking if he understood the proceeding, and made no statement. Prosecutor Andrew Livernois said it was his first offense and he had no prior record.
Fountain was not present in court.
Manson initially pleaded not guilty to both charges in 2021. He was scheduled to go to trial in August. His lawyer had said that the type of filming Fountain was doing commonly exposes videographers to "incidental contact" with bodily fluids.
"The defendant's performance for the past twenty years are well known to include shocking and evocative antics similar to those that occurred here," attorney Kent Barker wrote. "The alleged victim consented to exposing herself to potential contact with sweat, saliva and phlegm in close quarters."
Barker also had said Manson planned to argue that any contact related to spitting or sneezing was unintentional.
If Manson had gone to trial on the charges, each could have resulted in a jail sentence of less than a year and a $2,000 fine if convicted.
Manson emerged as a musical star in the mid-1990s, known as much for courting public controversy as for hit songs like "The Beautiful People" and hit albums like 1996's “Antichrist Superstar” and 1998's "Mechanical Animals."
themes: California New Hampshire

Marilyn Manson attends New Hampshire court in makeup resembling Nic Cage's Dracula
Marilyn Manson appeared in a New Hampshire courthouse Monday morning dressed in an all black suit and wearing pale makeup - a look resembling Nicolas Cage's rendition of Dracula from the movie “Renfield” - as he pleaded no contest to blowing his nose on a videographer at a concert.
The shock rocker, 54, was sentenced to 20 hours of community service, fined $1,400 and agreed to a condition that he stay out of trouble and let officials know if he has performances in the Granite State for two years as a part of his plea deal.
..... The second charge will be dropped as part of the agreement.
The rock star had sought to appear by video for the hearing, a bid which the judge rejected, forcing him to show up to the Laconia courthouse - which he entered wearing dark sunglasses.
He spoke in a soft voice inside the courtroom, merely answering “Yes” to the judge's questions but saying nothing else during the proceeding.
Manson will be allowed to carry out his community service from California, where he resides - which he must complete by Feb. 4.
Manson could have faced under a year in jail if he'd been convicted.
The "The Dope Show" singer had been scheduled to face trial in August after pleading not guilty to the charges in 2021 on accusations he got in the face of Fountain at the stage pit area of the venue and spat a "big lougee" which landed on her hands.
He allegedly later knelt down and held a nostril closed, blowing a snot rocket onto her arms and hands, according to an affidavit with the police.
.....
His lawyer Kent Barker had argued in court papers in 2021 that concert videographers are often subjected to "incidental contact" with bodily fluids during Manson performances.
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Manson has separately faced accusations of sexual abuse by several women including "Game of Thrones" actor Esme Bianco, but most of the cases have been dismissed or settled.
He also has a pending defamation case against his ex-fiancee “Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood for allegedly making up her sexual and physical abuse claims against him. He says the accusations damaged his career. A judge has tossed out parts of his suit, which he is appealing.
Cage played Count Dracula in 2023 in the horror comedy film “Renfield” about the vampire's tortured servant R.M. Renfield, portrayed by Nicholas Hoult.
With Post wires