A camerawoman, who claims Marilyn Manson caused her “fear and anxiety” after he spit and blew his nose on her at a concert, has revived her lawsuit against him.
Concert videographer and veteran photographer Susan Fountain claims that Manson approached her in the stage pit area during his show in Gilford, New Hampshire in August 2019.
According to a police affidavit, Manson, whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner, put his face close to Fountain’s camera and spit “a big lougee” at her. The videographer says that the gothic rock star’s saliva struck her arms and hands.
Fountain also accused Manson of approaching her a second time and blowing his nose on her arm and hands. The police report also notes that camera footage shows Manson “point and laugh at Fountain as she gets down and walks away.”
Rolling Stone reports that Fountain initially sued Manson in August 2021, making civil claims of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress due to the alleged incident.
However, earlier this year, the case was dismissed by a judge after Fountain, failed to appear in court on the date the trial was to begin.
Fountain’s attorney, Jennifer A. Clingo, filed paperwork in March saying that she had been suffering from a serious medical issue and had simply failed to enter the trial date in her calendar — an error that was a first in her career.
According to Rolling Stone, Clingo appealed the dismissal on behalf of the videographer. On November 2, a judge ruled that the lawsuit against Manson could go ahead. The judge noted that Clingo has now “reduced her caseload and has prepared for management of her cases until she fully recovers.”
Neither Manson nor his lawyers attended the hearing on November 2.
In her original lawsuit, Fountain alleged that Manson “crouched down, leaned forward, and brought his face level with (her) camera lens before expelling “bodily fluids right onto her.”
Fountain says she felt shocked and humiliated after the alleged incident. The videographer says she rushed to a bathroom and washed her arms and legs.
The lawsuit claims that she later consulted a physician and underwent medical testing to ensure she had not contracted any communicable diseases. Fountain alleges that Manson previously stated on video that he had “swine flu just before he blew his nose on people on the stage.”
In September, Manson was fined and sentenced to 20 hours of community service after he pleaded no contest to spitting on and blowing his nose on Fountain.
Image credits: Feature photo licensed via Depositphotos.