Billy Corgan Defends Marilyn Manson Friendship Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

Billy Corgan has defended his longstanding friendship with Marilyn Manson despite sexual assault allegations against the musician, saying he did not personally believe Manson was guilty. The Smashing Pumpkins frontman described a relationship spanning nearly 30 years and said private knowledge had influenced his decision to maintain it, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Corgan addressed the friendship during an appearance on The New York Times’ Popcast podcast, TheWrap reported. He framed his position around personal loyalty and his Christian faith, while saying that supporting a friend did not mean withholding criticism or agreeing with everything that person did.

“I don’t want the world to tell me who my friends are and who I should associate with,” Corgan said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. His explanation presented the friendship as a personal decision that he was unwilling to surrender to public pressure over the accusations against Manson.

The singer also said he knew information behind the scenes that was not publicly available. The supplied Hollywood Reporter account does not detail that information, leaving no basis to independently assess how it relates to the allegations. Corgan’s belief about Manson is a personal assessment, rather than a legal determination.

Their connection also extends into the Smashing Pumpkins’ family circle. Manson’s wife has a twin sister who is married to Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Corgan cited that relationship as additional context for why his association with Manson reaches beyond a friendship between two musicians.

Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, has denied allegations of abuse. The accusations have also been examined outside the public debate: Los Angeles County authorities conducted a four-year investigation involving detectives from the sheriff’s department and prosecutors from the district attorney’s Sex Crimes Division.

On January 24, 2025, District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced that his office would not bring criminal charges following that investigation. Prosecutors said the domestic violence allegations fell outside the statute of limitations and that they could not prove sexual assault charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Those stated reasons are distinct from a court finding that the alleged conduct did not occur. The decision concerned the legal deadlines and evidentiary threshold for criminal prosecution. Corgan pointed to the absence of a prosecution when explaining why the outcome was consistent with his own understanding of his friend, TheWrap reported.

The remarks place Corgan’s personal loyalty alongside a separate, unresolved disagreement over the underlying allegations. His account explains why he has maintained the relationship, but does not independently establish what happened. Going forward, his stated position is that his longstanding ties and personal judgment—not public expectations—will guide whom he chooses to associate with.