On an ongoing arrest warrant for allegedly assaulting a videographer during a 2019 concert in New Hampshire, rock icon Marilyn Manson has reportedly decided to surrender to the Los Angeles Police Department.
On Friday, Gilford (N.H.) Police Chief Anthony Bean Burpee announced the arrest, saying that a local attorney had contacted the prosecutor for the first time since the warrant was issued over 18 months ago. It was unclear when Manson might surrender to authorities, according to Bean Burpee.
Manson, whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner, is charged with two misdemeanor charges of simple assault resulting from a performance on August 18, 2019, at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion.
“Police said a videographer contracted to shoot the concert was in the stage pit area when she was reportedly assaulted, noting that the incident was not sexual in nature,” according to the Los Angeles Times. “Burpee claimed the videographer reported the alleged crime the day after the event, but the inquiry took many months to complete,” the source stated.
Last month, Chief Bean Burpee stated that Manson, his agent, and his legal team, “have been aware of the warrant for some time and no effort has been made by him to return to New Hampshire to answer the pending charges.”
An attorney for Manson, Howard E. King, called the claims “ludicrous” and sent a statement to numerous news outlets in response to the allegations.
“It is no secret to anyone who has attended a Marilyn Manson concert that he likes to be provocative on stage, especially in front of a camera, this misdemeanor claim was pursued after we received a demand from a venue videographer for more than $35,000 after a small amount of spit came into contact with their arm. After we asked for evidence of any alleged damages, we never received a reply.” Said King.
Someone told WMUR News that they were at the concert and saw Manson allegedly “spitting on the camera many times.”
Reports from the L.A. Times:
Burpee said that if Manson surrenders within the next few weeks, his initial court appearance in New Hampshire would probably be in mid-August. He said the misdemeanor Manson faces can carry a maximum jail sentence of one year and a fine of up to $2,000.
Manson has faced multiple sexual and physical abuse accusations, which he has denied. In February, Manson was dropped by his record label after actress Evan Rachel Wood, who was engaged to Manson, and other women accused him of abuse in messages on Instagram.
Later that month, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it was investigating allegations of domestic violence involving the musician between 2009 and 2011, when he lived in West Hollywood.
Sources: dailywire.com, wmur.com, latimes.com (1), latimes.com (2), latimes.com (3)