The 48-year-old shock rocker defends himself after coming under fire for pretending to shoot the crowd with a fake assault rifle at KnotFest over the weekend.
- Nov 8, 2017
AceShowbiz - Marilyn Manson landed in hot water for pretending to shoot concergoers during his performance at KnotFest in San Bernardino, California on Sunday night, October 5. The 48-year-old rocker defended his stunt after he received backlash.
"In an era where mass shootings have become a nearly daily occurrence," Manson said in a statement, "this was an act of theater in an attempt to make a statement about how easily accessible semi-automatic weapons are and how seeing them has become normalized."
"My art has always been a reaction to popular culture and my way to make people think about the horrible things that happen in this world. My performance was not meant to be disrespectful or show any insensitivity," he continued.
"The prop microphone I used on stage was handed to me with the approval of a police officer," he claimed before concluding, "My empathy goes out to anyone who has been affected by the irresponsible and reprehensible misuse of REAL guns."
Marilyn Manson was in a wheelchair singing his song called "We Know Where You F**king Live" when he was pointing a fake assault rifle at the crowd. He was wheeled on the stage by a man dressing up in medical scrubs.
The weekend concert became the rocker's first gig since his leg was shattered by a falling stage prop back in September. It's also his first show with new bassist Juan Alderete after he parted ways with Twiggy Ramirez amid sexual assault allegations against Ramirez.
His stunt with the fake gun took place just hours after a gunman opened fire and killed at least 26 people at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Meanwhile, San Bernardino where KnotFest was held is the same city that saw at least 14 people killed and 24 others injured in a 2015 shooting during a Christmas party.
