Marilyn Manson pleaded no contest to a charge of simple assault in New Hampshire court on Monday, September 18, ABC affiliate WMUR reports.
The charge stems from a 2019 incident in which Manson, born Brian Warner, was accused of intentionally spitting and blowing his nose on a videographer filming him from the pit during a concert at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford.
A warrant for Warner’s arrest was issued in 2021, and he initially pleaded not guilty later that year. Warner’s attorney said in a statement to Pitchfork that the allegations were “ludicrous.”
Warner’s plea dismisses one of the two charges he faced, while the other charge carries a sentence of a $1,200 fine and 20 hours of community service. He also is required to notify local police should he schedule a concert in New Hampshire in the next two years.
During the hearing, the court heard a victim-impact statement read on the videographer’s behalf, which began, “For me, I’m a professional person and I’ve been in this industry for 30 years. I’ve worked for a lot of companies, and in all the years I’ve worked with people, I’ve never been humiliated or treated the way I was by this defendant.”
“For [Warner] to spit on me and blow his nose on me was the most disgusting thing a human being has ever done,” the statement continued. “I understand this was not a big criminal charge to begin with, but I was hoping that the defendant would receive a sentence that would make him think twice before doing something like this again.”
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