What does Marilyn Manson look like without makeup?

MARILYN Manson has always been one of music's most controversial figures.

Now, a Channel 4 documentary is diving into systemic abuse in the music industry, with Manson at the centre of the conversation following accusations of horrific acts from more than a dozen women.

Marilyn Manson's real name is a little less glamorous than his stage name - he's called Brian Hugh Warner.

He was born in Canton, Ohio, on 5 January, 1969 - that makes him 56.

He's a singer, songwriter, musician, composer, actor, painter, author, and former music journalist.

Manson is best known for his '90s records Antichrist Superstar and Mechanical Animals.

A judge ruled that Manson must carry out community service after being convicted of blowing his nose on a videographer at a 2019 concert in New Hampshire, a sentence he completed in February 2024.

In 2023, a California judge dismissed key parts of Manson’s lawsuit against his former fiancée, Westworld actor Evan Rachel Wood.

Wood had met Manson when she was just 18 years old and he was 36 and married to Dita Von Teese.

Manson had claimed that Wood fabricated public allegations of sexual and physical abuse during their relationship and encouraged other women to come forward with similar accusations.

In November 2024, Manson agreed to drop a lawsuit against Wood and to pay her attorneys' fees.

Over the years, several women have filed lawsuits against Manson, accusing him of sexual and other forms of abuse.

Many of these cases have been dismissed or settled, including one brought by Game of Thrones actor Esmé Bianco.

Now, Channel 4 is set to air a new documentary series, Marilyn Manson Unmasked, premiering on January 14.

The three-part series explores allegations that Manson used his influence to manipulate the system and commit horrific abuse against multiple women over the course of his decades-long career—claims that Manson has repeatedly denied.

How did Marilyn Manson get his name?

Manson's stage name was formed by combining and juxtaposing the names of actress Marilyn Monroe and criminal Charles Manson.

He has previously revealed he has trademarked his famous name.

He said: "I trademarked the name 'Marilyn Manson' the same way as Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

“It's not a stage name. It's not my legal name ... Marilyn Manson is owned by Brian Warner, my real name."

Aside from music, Manson has also acted.

He made his movie in 1997, appearing in David Lynch's Lost Highway.

He's also appeared in Rose McGowan's 1999 film Jawbreaker; The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things; Rise; The Hire: Beat The Devil.

He also claimed that he began his career as a watercolour painter in 1999 when he made five-minute concept pieces and sold them to drug dealers.

In a 2017 interview with the Guardian, Manson stated that the 1999 massacre at Columbine high school in Colorado “destroyed my entire career at the time”.

His name was linked to the shooting after the perpetrators were erroneously alleged to have been fans.

What does Marilyn Manson look like without makeup?

Marilyn is rarely seen in public without makeup on. However, he did sport a makeup-free face when he had to go to court in 2001 (pictured above).

He has previously described his love affair with makeup, saying it all stems from childhood.

He revealed to Fader: "My mom used to put her wigs and lipstick on me when I was little. I have one weird picture of me as a toddler with an unlit cigarette in my mouth, wearing her blonde wig and a diaper, sitting on the couch. Wonder how I ended up here."

Manson shared that his fascination with makeup stemmed from his vivid imagination, which he couldn't confine to just paper or music.

"I suppose my fascination with makeup comes from me having a great imagination and not being able to contain it just to a piece of paper or a piece of music", he explained.

Reflecting on his childhood, he recalled, "When I was a kid, I used to do the KISS makeup with watercolour paints".

KISS, he admitted, first intrigued him because it was forbidden.

"I was into KISS mostly because I was told not to listen to it in Christian school", he said, though his real inspirations lay elsewhere.

"But Alice Cooper and Bowie were more important to me. KISS wore too much of a mask; it was too much kabuki”.

Manson’s early exploration of identity and appearance was deeply influenced by David Bowie.

He said: "I wanted to be seen, I just didn’t want to be seen the same way that I was”.

Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona even inspired a bold choice: "Ziggy Stardust first led me to shave off my eyebrows.

“People look at you trying to figure out what’s missing or wrong, and you can do a lot more with makeup when your eyebrows are out of the way."

Interestingly, his use of makeup was never about aiming for androgyny in the traditional sense.

"In the beginning, I was never intending to be androgynous in the sense that people thought. I wasn’t trying to look like a girl; I was hiding something", Manson revealed.

Struggling with a poor complexion as a teenager, he found his own way of turning insecurities into defiance.

"I had a really bad complexion as a teenager, but I wasn’t insecure: I tried to look worse.

“I liked to put lipstick on my teeth because it was always something that people didn’t like to have."

What are Marilyn Manson's biggest songs?

American rock band Marilyn Manson is formed of lead singer Marilyn Manson and guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, although Berkowitz left the band in 1996.

Their shocking dress and frequent references to sex, violence and drugs has led to a controversial reputation, with some US states even banning Marilyn Manson from performing at state-owned venues.

The band have achieved several platinum-selling albums, including Portrait of an American Family, Antichrist Superstar and Mechanical Animals.

Manson's version of the Gloria Jones song Tainted Love is one of their best known singles, as is The Beautiful People.

Their cover of Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) also did well in the US and the UK.