What Marilyn Manson's Former Bandmates Have To Say About Him

Marilyn Manson established himself as a highly polarizing and controversial figure in the entertainment industry. It's not only due to his music persona where he embraces vices and the darker side of life, but also how he acts when he's off stage and seemingly just the man born Brian Warner. Now, there are many stars who can't stand Marilyn Manson, but what do his former bandmates say about him?

It's a mixed bag, really. Some of them paint a picture of a different character who played a major part in changing their lives, while others aren't fans and remain unafraid of telling the world about what their experience was like working with him. Of course, this is no different from anyone else on Earth, as someone's best friend could be another person's bitter enemy. That isn't to say that one individual is wrong and another is right, or vice versa, but that human relationships are complex.

So, from his crew from the early Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids days to the collection of touring musicians from the latter years, here's what Manson's former bandmates have had to say about him. Proceed with caution, as some of these stories can be triggering to sensitive readers.

Wes Borland knows all about the rock star life, having played with Limp Bizkit and Nine Inch Nails in the past. For a short while in the late 2000s, Borland joined Marilyn Manson as a touring guitarist. He didn't stick around for too long, though, as he returned back home to Fred Durst and the boys in Limp Bizkit. In 2021, Marilyn Manson's ex-guitarist spoke out on shocking allegations about his former bandmate, after Evan Rachel Wood and other women accused Manson of abuse.

Appearing on the Twitch channel Space Zebra (via MetalSucks), Borland revealed he was around Manson when he was dating Wood and urged people to believe her and the other women speaking out. "I was in the band for nine months," Borland said. "He's not a great guy. Every single thing that people have said about him is f***ing true."

Borland expressed that Manson possesses a lot of talent, but "he needs to get sober and he needs to come to terms with his demons." In addition to this, Borland recalled a touring story of his own about Manson and how he once had to put the singer in his place. "He tried to choke me out on stage and I flipped him over and knocked the breath out of him," Borland said. "He's not a great guy. Goodbye. My apologies. I was the biggest fan and [now] I am not."

John 5 served as Marilyn Manson's guitarist from 1998 to 2004. It was Manson who gave him the moniker of John 5, which he has carried with him as he went on to play in Rob Zombie's live band and Mötley Crüe afterward.

In 2004, John 5 told MTV (via NME) that Manson had stopped communicating with him during his last tour with the band. Eventually, Manson's manager reached out and told John 5 he was fired, adding that Manson wanted to work with Tim Skold moving forward. Asked what could have been the source of tensions, John 5 speculated it was how their personal lives differed. "Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the fact that I don't drink or do drugs, and he's not like that at all," John 5 said. "Maybe he held that against me. I don't know. He never said."

Yet, despite the firing, John 5 remained upbeat about his time in the group and only spoke positively about his former bandmate whenever asked. In 2019, he once again recalled his stint with Marilyn Manson on the "Scars and Guitars" podcast. "An absolute important episode [in my life]," John 5 said. "My name is John 5 and Manson gave me that name. I had some of the best years of my life in that band and learned a lot. I think it was a very, very important time for my career."

In the 2000s, Swedish musician Tim Skold played a huge role in shaping Marilyn Manson's overall sound, as his sonic touch can be felt on 2003's "The Golden Age of Grotesque" and 2007's "Eat Me, Drink Me." Bringing all the industrial influences from his own band, Skold, and his time in KMFDM, Skold's musical ideas shimmer and roar in this period of Manson's history between 2002 and 2008.

In 2009, Manson told The Arizona Republic (via Blabbermouth) that the then-iteration of the band with Twiggy Ramirez back in the fold (after Skold's departure) was the best version yet, because he was "emotionally attached" to all his bandmates, hinting that hadn't been the case between him and Skold. When asked why Twiggy and Skold couldn't seemingly co-exist, Manson said, "Twiggy writes songs from the heart, and Tim Skold writes from his checkbook."

Publicly, Skold hasn't said anything negative about Manson since his departure. In a 2021 interview with VerdamMnis, he mentioned only a positive and collaborative experience working with him. "Manson is also a great example of deep commitment and dedication to the art and work, something I think is super important," Skold said. "Since he is an artist himself he has an understanding and appreciation for my work and that includes the respect and support, something he was always very gracious with."

One of the longest-serving musicians in the Marilyn Manson band didn't leave on good terms. Stephen Bier, who went by the name of Madonna Wayne Gacy and played keyboard and other instruments during his time with Manson, formed a part of the group from 1990 to 2007.

When he left, he alleged there was a shady truth to Marilyn Manson and his behavior. Bier sued Manson and claimed he was pushed out of the band and not paid for his contributions. In addition, he made other shocking allegations about Manson and how he spent his money on Nazi memorabilia. In retaliation, Manson filed a countersuit against Bier, alleging a breach of contract from his time in the band. Eventually, Manson and Bier settled the matter.

The bad vibes didn't end there, though. It was in a now-deleted 2016 Facebook post (via Loudwire) that Bier truly put Manson on blast to his fans and friends. "I am genuinely amazed at how many prominent entertainers and musicians have kicked off in the last 30 days ... Too bad Brian Warner isn't one of them," Bier wrote. He continued to go off about his harsh feelings toward his former bandmate and answer fan questions, expressing how happy he would be to dance on Manson's grave one day.

Chris Vrenna is a multifaceted musician who has earned the praise of his peers for both his producing and musical work. While he's best known for his time with Nine Inch Nails, Vrenna also spent a lengthy stint as a member of Marilyn Manson from 2004 to 2011.

As Vrenna told Noisecreep in 2012, he already knew Manson on a personal level from his Nine Inch Nails days, so he knew what he was all about. "It was a lot of fun to work with him, but he likes to work in what I call 'Manson time,' which is nothing like most people work." Vrenna laughed. "He likes to work through the night and sometimes he won't sleep for days. It just became too exhausting for me." Vrenna added that being in the band became too much for him, especially in terms of the debaucherous lifestyle aspect, and he felt like he had achieved everything artistically that he could with Manson.

In a 2018 interview with AL.com, Vrenna re-emphasized that he was at odds with Manson's lifestyle. "Quick version of why I quit is it's a very dark lifestyle," he said. "There's a lot of substance problems, the hours are insane. It's just really intense. It's as crazy as everything you've ever read and everything you've ever heard."

Drummer Jason Sutter has sat behind the kit for everyone from Cher to Foreigner. An accomplished and in-demand musician, he served a short stint as Marilyn Manson's touring drummer in the 2010s.

In 2019, Sutter spoke to Ultimate Guitar about what it was like to be around Manson. He opened up about the audition process and how he had to send a picture to prove he was "not fat," because that's supposedly a no-no for anyone wanting to join Manson's band. For the most part, Sutter was positive about the experience but admitted that Manson's "a tough character." He revealed that a lot of people pander to his whims and strange demands, especially when Marilyn Manson loses it while performing.

"Any mistake that's made by Manson onstage, you get blamed for it because you're a sitting duck," Sutter said. "The manager had a meeting with me before I joined and said, 'I need you to know if Manson screws something up, you're getting the blame for it in public. You have to be cool with that and you can't call him out on that.'" Sutter added how it's almost a warped universe, one where he would need to apologize to Manson after a show for a mistake that the vocalist made, even though everyone knew it wasn't Sutter's mistake at all. Yet, everyone played along so that Manson wouldn't be upset.

Music fans recognize Rob Holliday for his contributions to the British electronic band Prodigy, but he also handled guitar and bass duties for Marilyn Manson between 2007 and 2008. As Holliday told Guitarguitar in 2024, he had known Manson and his manager for a few years, and stayed in touch with Manson's manager in particular. When the opportunity presented itself for him to join the band as a touring musician during the cycle of the 2007 album "Eat Me, Drink Me," Holliday jumped at the chance and secured the gig.

He confirmed that touring with Manson was "total mayhem," but he had nothing but good things to say about him as a man and performer. "He was great, no problems at all," Holliday said. "A class act: a superb front man — a true rock star and there's not many real ones left. We've been good friends ever since."

Jeordie White, also known as Twiggy Ramirez, is intrinsically linked to the history of Marilyn Manson. In fact, Manson has gone as far as to tell Rolling Stone that the relationship between him and White is similar to the musical connection between Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. White joined Manson in the '90s and left in 2002, but he returned to the fold in 2008, tackling both bass and guitar duties during his second stint in the band.

Even during the period when he wasn't involved with Marilyn Manson, White spoke positively about his former bandmate. Chatting to Artisan News in 2007, he claimed that the split from Manson was akin to "a divorce" and "devastating" when it happened, but he knew they had to go their separate ways at the time. "Being in Marilyn Manson is the best thing that ever happened to me and leaving it was the best as well," White said. "I don't have any regrets, or anything bad to say about him. He's one of the most important people in my life. Not right now, but in my lifetime, he's definitely an important person for sure."

In 2017, after sexual assault allegations were leveled against White, Manson announced on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account that White had been fired from the band. "I wish him well," Manson wrote.

"Terrifier" is one of the most successful indie horror film franchises of all time. Of course, David Howard Thornton's Art the Clown plays a major role in the "Terrifier" success, but the remarkable score also leaves its chilling mark on anyone who watches the movies. The credit here needs to go to musician Paul Wiley, who scored all three films, while sharing musical duties with Rostislav Vaynshtok for the second film. Wiley also happened to play guitar for Marilyn Manson for about half a decade in the 2010s.

Nowadays, Wiley appears to be all in on his plans to score films, but he took a trip down memory lane with Standish913 in 2023 to talk about what it was like to be in Manson for such a substantial period of time. "Touring with Manson was always a great experience and a lot of monumental shows I got to be a part of," he said, "and [I] will always be grateful to the whole camp involved."

The name Brian Tutunick might not ring a bell for Marilyn Manson fans, but Olivia Newton Bundy sure does. Tutunick is one of the co-founders of Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, and played bass under the moniker of Bundy for about a year before he was replaced by Bradly Stewart, aka Gidget Gein.

Tutunick, though, knew Manson as Brian Warner, so he possesses a different insight into his former bandmate than a lot of others. He participated in the 1999 documentary "Demystifying the Devil," where he revealed interesting details about Manson.

Tutunick recalled a story from Manson's journalism days, especially a time when Manson interviewed a band that spooked him. "I remember he interviewed [My Life with] the Thrill Kill Kult back in their evil days," Tutunick said. "And I remember Brian coming out of the interview basically shaking that he had never met somebody that bizarre and satanic, I guess you'd call them. He said [Groovie Mann] had animal bones and feet around his neck and he just totally was shocked by Groovie's whole look."

Spencer Rollins featured in several roles for Marilyn Manson. While he performed for the group as a touring musician, he also contributed to Manson's music videos behind the scenes. In 2021, after Evan Rachel Wood made allegations about Manson abusing her, Rollins posted a series of messages to his Instagram Stories (via Daily Dot) where he claimed he was harassed by Manson for being a friend of Wood's and hanging around her in his early 20s. Rollins said that Manson threatened him with violence and that he would sabotage Rollins' career. It reached a point where Rollins alleged that Manson uploaded his phone number to a sex worker website, and he would receive calls and messages from men.

"Brian Warner weaponized anything he could get his hands on to terrorize me," Rollins wrote, "and when he couldn't do that, he attempted to go after my family and my dreams."

Taking to her own Instagram Stories, Wood backed Rollins' claims and alleged that she also received mistreatment for simply being in contact with him. "Brian also horribly abused me during this time for even speaking to Spencer, and I personally witnessed Brian harassing [Spencer] for no reason, for a long time," she wrote.

Want to read about Manson? Be sure to check out the rise and fall of Marilyn Manson.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues or may have been a victim of sexual assault, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).