Making an uncomfortable situation that much ickier, a representative for Marilyn Manson has confirmed that the shock-rocker — who is currently under investigation by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for accusations of domestic abuse — features on Kanye West’s forthcoming album, Donda. “Marilyn Manson’s voice is featured on Donda, and he will continue to conceptually collaborate with Ye on the Donda project,” a spokesperson for Manson told Billboard, who picked the story up from Newsweek.
Last night, Kanye prompted fan backlash when he brought Manson and DaBaby onstage with him during his third Donda listening party at Chicago’s Soldier Field. During the event, Kanye premiered a new version of “Jail” that replaced a Jay-Z verse with one from DaBaby, who has been under fire for making homophobic comments onstage during Rolling Loud.
Earlier this year, actress Evan Rachel Wood came forward to name ex-partner Manson as her alleged abuser, whom she accused of terrorizing her during their relationship, which began in 2007 (when she was 18 and he was 36) and ended in 2010. At the time, Wood accused Manson of both “grooming” and “horrifically” abusing her. After that, at least ten more women came forward to make similar accusations against the singer, including Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco, who had previously testified alongside Wood in support of California’s Phoenix Bill, which is aimed toward lengthening the statute of limitations for crimes involving domestic violence. Bianco eventually sued Manson for sexual assault and battery. Following the accusations, Manson’s label, Loma Vista, dropped him from their roster.
Manson has denied the allegations, posting a statement to social media in February: “Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality… My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.”