Slipknot fans threaten boycott over Marilyn Manson support slot on new world tour

Heavy metal giants Slipknot have unveiled plans for a new world tour, but the announcement has been overshadowed by a backlash from a portion of their fanbase over the decision to book Marilyn Manson as a support act.

The eight-piece band, famous for their numbered jumpsuits and ever-changing masks, confirmed that the US shock rocker will join them at London's Wembley Stadium as well as on several dates across the South American leg of the run. Metalcore outfit Hatebreed will also appear on the bill for the London show.

News of the line-up was shared with fans via an Instagram post, and the reaction was swift and sharply divided. Thousands of comments flooded the post, with many expressing enthusiasm for the pairing and others voicing anger and disappointment.

Critics of the move pointed to the long history of sexual abuse allegations made against Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner. The 57-year-old musician has consistently and strongly denied all claims against him.

Some self-described longtime Slipknot followers said they would refuse to purchase tickets in protest. One commenter wrote that they would have loved to attend but could not stomach the idea of their money ending up in Manson's pockets, while another simply called the announcement a disappointment and confirmed they would stay away.

Others came to the band's defence. One supporter noted the substantial overlap between the two acts' fanbases and argued that Manson was a fitting choice to warm up the crowd. That split reaction has turned what would normally be a straightforward tour announcement into a broader debate about accountability and fandom.

The controversy has its roots in 2021, when actress Evan Rachel Wood went public with allegations against Manson. Wood, who was in a relationship with the singer for around three years from 2007, claimed he had horrifically abused and manipulated her. She said she chose to speak out in order to warn others about what she described as a dangerous man.

Manson responded at the time by rejecting the claims as horrible distortions of reality, insisting that all of his intimate relationships had been entirely consensual. His denial has remained consistent in the years since.

Wood's statement prompted several other women to come forward on social media with similar accounts accusing Manson of abuse, widening the scope of the public allegations against him.

In 2022, Wood appeared in a documentary series titled Phoenix Rising, which centred on her allegations. The project brought renewed attention to the claims and intensified scrutiny of Manson's conduct and career.

The dispute also spilled into the courts. Manson sued Wood and another woman for defamation, alleging that they had impersonated FBI agents and forged federal documents. A judge dismissed some of his claims, and the case was ultimately settled in 2024, with Manson agreeing to cover Wood's legal fees.

Separately, authorities in Los Angeles confirmed last year that they would not pursue criminal charges against Manson following a four-year investigation into accusations of domestic abuse and sexual assault involving multiple women. The district attorney's office explained that the domestic abuse allegations fell outside the statute of limitations and that it could not prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.

That decision closed the criminal file but did nothing to settle the argument among music fans, as the Slipknot announcement has demonstrated. For promoters, the episode illustrates how booking decisions can quickly become reputational flashpoints in an era when audiences scrutinise artists' personal histories as closely as their back catalogues.

The stakes are particularly high for Slipknot, a band with a fiercely loyal following built over decades of intense live performances. Their fans often describe the group as a community, and any perception that the band is aligning itself with a controversial figure risks fracturing that relationship.

So far, neither Manson's representatives nor the promoters at Live Nation UK have issued a public response to the criticism. BBC Newsbeat has contacted both parties for comment.

The London date at Wembley Stadium represents one of the biggest headline shows of Slipknot's career, and the South American leg will extend the tour's reach across multiple markets. With tickets yet to go on sale, the coming weeks will reveal whether the online anger translates into a measurable impact at the box office.

For now, the announcement has achieved something unusual: it has turned a tour reveal into a referendum on where fans believe the line should be drawn between an artist's music and the allegations that surround them.