Black Sabbath final show sparks backlash after 'scumbag' musician's appearance

Metro

12 hours ago

Black Sabbath's farewell show was an emotional one for the band and fans alike but it has been tainted for some by one musician's inclusion.
Various messages of thanks for the band were played on the screen throughout the gig, which saw the likes of Metallica and Slayer take the stage.
One stood out for the wrong reasons for some fans as Marilyn Manson, 53, came on screen to speak about his love for Ozzy Osbourne and the band.
'It is a great honour to be here via this video, and I'd like to say congratulations, and I love you very much Ozzy,' he said in a pre-recorded message.
Since 2021, there have been a slew of sexual abuse allegations levelled at Manson, real name Brian Warner. He has denied everything.
'Eurgh Marilyn Manson making an appearance on the sabbath stream,' wrote TrueBlueWhoDat on X. 'F**k that guy he's a piece of s**t.'
'ew marilyn manson go away,' added ThatMetalNessie as fanofwolvesetc said: 'Marilyn Manson on the black sabbath stream f**k off.'
Ruemorgue blasted: 'Marilyn Manson speaking at the Black Sabbath farewell concert? Phil Anselmo performing? They really brought all the scumbags together.'
Phil Anselmo, frontman for Pantera, previously shouted 'white power' while on stage in 2016 and did a Nazi salute, for which he later apologised.
Manson's accusers include Evan Rachel Wood, who in February 2021 alleged he had abused her 'for years' while in a relationship.
She became involved with him when she was 18 and he was 38 and said he 'essentially raped her' on camera while filming a music video.
The Westworld star released her documentary Phoenix Rising in 2022, stating that the incident was 'traumatising' and that she 'did not feel safe'.
'I felt disgusting and like I had done something shameful, and I could tell that the crew was very uncomfortable and nobody knew what to do,' she alleged.
'I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretences. That's when the first crime was committed against me and I was essentially raped on camera.'
His lawyer called it an 'imaginative retelling' of the making of the Heart-Shaped Glasses music video and denied the accusation.
Manson's own defamation lawsuit against Wood was thrown out of court, with the Disposable Teens singer paying her almost $327,000 (£238,303) in attorney fees.
Other women have also accused Manson of abuse, including Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco who filed aginst him on allegations of rape and sexual battery.
An out-of-court settlement was reportedly reached 'in order to move on with her life and career', according to her lawyer.
Another 2021 lawsuit, in which his anonymous ex-girlfriend claimed he raped her and threatened to kill her, was settled a week before the trial was due to start.
He has previously stated his relationships 'have always been entirely consensual', and called the accusations 'horrible distortions of reality'.
While Manson continues to deny the allegations, the Beautiful People singer recently had his Brighton show cancelled after protests. More Trending
Brighton Pavilion MP Sian Berry wrote an open letter to Brighton and Hove City Council last month, calling for the show to be axed.
Co-signed by various groups, it read: 'Many survivors in Brighton and Hove, and organisations supporting them, will have serious concerns about this booking and its wider impact on other people visiting the city centre, local residents and the wider community.'
His shows in Bournemouth, Cardiff, Nottingham, Manchester, and London are still planned to go ahead.
Metro has reached out to Manson and Black Sabbath's teams for comment.
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