Former bandmember Stephen Bier seeking more than $20 million; singer calls allegations 'ridiculous.'
In a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court, former Marilyn Manson keyboardist Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. - known to fans by his stage name, Madonna Wayne Gacy - claims the shock rocker has been using the band's money to fund his lavish lifestyle, drug habit and the production of his upcoming film, "Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll," among other things.
The suit further alleges Manson took assets belonging to the rest of the band to purchase Nazi paraphernalia, African masks made of human skin and the full skeleton of a 4-year-old Chinese girl, all of which he has on display in his Chatsworth, California, mansion.
The singer denied the allegations to MTV News in an interview late Thursday afternoon.
Bier is seeking unspecified general, compensatory and punitive damages as well as lost salary, bonuses and attorneys' fees, which he "believes to be in excess of $20 million."
According to the suit, a copy of which was obtained by MTV News, Bier claims that at the time of the band's formation, when the group was still known as Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, the founding members entered into a partnership agreement whereby all profits from the group's album releases, tours and merch sales were shared in various proportions, with Manson getting the biggest chunk.
The complaint charges Manson with systematically forcing the original bandmembers out, replacing them with new musicians who weren't privy to the original arrangement. In one such instance, the lawsuit claims that drummer Fred Streithorst, Jr. - stage name: Sara Lee Lucas - split in 1995 after Manson doused his drum kit with butane during a concert, setting it on fire while Streithorst was still playing.
The suit further contends that Manson took complete control of the band, insisting that it drop "Spooky Kids" from its moniker, leaving just Marilyn Manson as the group's name. Manson allegedly told the rest of the band that from that point on, he'd call himself "Mr. Manson," but he later reneged on that promise.


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