Billy Corgan remains steadfast in his relationship with close friend and longtime colleague Marilyn Manson, despite a series of sexual harassment and domestic violence lawsuits filed against Manson over the years. When asked about friendship on a recent episode of the New York Times’ “Popcast” podcast, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman said he “doesn’t feel guilty personally” and doesn’t like the world telling him “who I should be involved with.”
“As a Christian person, you have to stand up for your friends, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion, and that doesn’t mean you don’t have a critical view,” Corgan said. “Personally, I didn’t think he was guilty of the things he was accused of, and ultimately the prosecutor’s lack of pursuit… was commensurate with the person I knew and the way everything went, even though it was a long process.”
She continued: “I don’t want the world to tell me who my friends are and who I should associate with. That’s politically or socially valid. In Brian’s case, we’ve been in a relationship for close to 30 years.” Corgan noted that Manson’s wife, Lindsay Usich, is the twin sister of Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha’s wife. “So Manson is basically part of our family,” he added.
“Everyone in this situation struggles with the accusations and the seriousness of the accusations. But then again, I also knew the inside story of the case. I knew some of the people involved, and that’s why you make these assessments. If he’s guilty, or anyone else in this situation is guilty, he should go to prison. I’m not saying I have the moral high ground here. I’m saying it depends. That kind of witch-gang stuff bothers me.”
In 2021, actress Evan Rachel Wood alleged that Manson “horribly abused” her during a relationship. He made a statement to Vanity Fair, and a report in the magazine included the statements of three other women who accused Manson of harassment. Manson was subsequently dropped from his record label, manager, and CAA. In 2022, Manson sued Wood for defamation, but dropped the lawsuit in 2024 and was ordered to pay attorneys’ fees.
Game of Thrones actress Esmé Blanco also accused Manson of sexual assault and filed a federal lawsuit accusing him of rape and other acts of sexual violence. She was one of more than a dozen women at the time who also made allegations against Manson.
In 2025, the Los Angeles County District Attorney ruled that Manson would not be prosecuted for allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence. Years ago, in 2018, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office refused to prosecute sexual assault cases against Manson due to the statute of limitations having expired.