Sharon Osbourne Addresses Her “Working Relationship” With Marilyn Manson After Abuse Claims

Sharon Osbourne has spoken out about her relationship with Marilyn Manson following backlash from fans.

Manson, whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner, was accused by his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Woods of abusing her during their relationship. The pair's relationship became public knowledge in 2007, when Woods was 19, and in a statement, the Westworld star claimed that Manson had "groomed" her when she was a teenager. The two got engaged in 2010 but broke up later that year.

Manson denied the accusations, writing in a statement he posted to Instagram, "My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth."

Now Osbourne, who worked closely with Manson as his music manager and whose husband Ozzy Osbourne had planned a 2020 tour with the artist that was ultimately cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, spoke out about her relationship with the "The Nobodies" singer on the Feb. 5 episode of her show The Talk.

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Osbourne, who said she was getting an onslaught of social media hate from people sharing images of her with Manson, told viewers and her co-hosts that while she has known the rockstar for 25 years, she does "not know what goes on in his bedroom."

She continued, "There's something called a working relationship and that's what I've had with Marylin for many years. I know nothing about his sexual preferences or the way he treats women. I know how he treats an older woman, which is me. And he's always been respectful."

Stars who have stood with the women making the accusations against Manson include his ex-fiancée Rose McGowan, Selma Blair, Josh Gad and Jeffrey Wright.

Following Woods' allegations, Manson was dropped from his record label Loma Vista Recordings as well as his talent agency, CAA. His episode of Creepshow will no longer air and he will be removed from his upcoming episodes of the Starz series American Gods.

For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.