After making a career out of spectacle, shock value and other open displays of eccentricity, Marilyn Manson is now looking to cover up.
The heavy-metalist has filed a motion requesting that all of his financial and business records be kept sealed during the discovery process pertaining to his ex-band mate's pending lawsuit against him.
Former Marilyn Manson (the band) keyboardist Stephen Bier, aka Madonna Wayne Gacy, sued Manson for breach of contract in August, claiming the milky-eyed singer had used the group's money to, among other things, finance a drug habit, pay for his wedding to Dita Von Teese and decorate his Chatsworth, Calif., home with an array of oddities, including Nazi memorabilia and a human skeleton.
Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, countersued in December, accusing Bier of failing to meet contractual touring, recording and merchandising agreements. He's been collecting royalties, Manson says of his former ivory-tickler, but during his tenure with the band frequently showed up late and otherwise "failed to render services to the best of his ability and in a practical and cooperative manner."
Because Bier's allegations directly reference Manson's cash value, his attorney argues, he should be allowed an order of protection protecting the confidentiality of his records, akin to the order Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael L. Stern granted to Lindsay Lohan in her recent civil tangle with a bus boy who accused her of being drunk at the time of their 2005 car accident.
Stern, incidentally, is also the presiding judge in this case. A copy of the order granted on Lohan's behalf was included in the latest filing.
"A protective order is necessary to protect the confidentiality of that information against competitors and from the media and to preclude the plaintiff from using Manson's confidential information for improper purposes," the motion states.
Meanwhile, Bier's attorneys say "hogwash," citing Manson's well-known penchant for public displays of… whatever.
"Manson lives his life in the public eye," a filing opposing the defense's motion states. "He communicates frequently with the press regarding his personal affairs, openly discusses his frequent drug use, his failed marriage with burlesque model Dita Von Teese, his current relationship with actress Evan Rachel Wood, and his wild, rock 'n' roll lifestyle."
He also drinks absinthe and openly discusses his friends' and band members' sexual proclivities, as well, Bier claims.
Stern heard arguments Wednesday but has yet to rule on the request.
If the order is granted as per Manson's specifications, Bier's lawyers will have access to the records but they would not be made part of the public record and his camp would not be allowed to show them to anyone else.
The order is necessary before the two sides can proceed with depositions, Manson's lawyer says. A hearing during which Bier's side is set to renew its petition to depose the "Beautiful People" rocker is scheduled for Apr. 10.