The Eyebrow-Raising Interaction Madonna Once Had With Marilyn Manson
Madonna has spent nearly 40 years entreating all of us to open our hearts, justify her love, and express ourselves. According to our enduring Material Girl, "you're frozen when your heart's not open," so you can imagine she's probably received quite a few invites from the who's-who of Hollywood to romantic dinners over the course of her dating life. In fact, Madonna has been romantically linked to some top brass, like Sean Penn, Warren Beatty, Guy Ritchie, John F. Kennedy Jr., Tupac, Dennis Rodman and, uh ... *checks notes* ... Vanilla Ice.
So you might be surprised to learn her somewhat shocked and bemused response when she received an amorous offer from none other than shock-rocker Marilyn Manson. For the woman who wrote the book on "Sex" (literally), she certainly had a brief and to-the-point reply when the "Antichrist Superstar" industrial metal bandleader used an interview to pique her interest. It was #ChefsKiss.
Marilyn Manson puts his cards on the table
It all began in 2015, when the "Dope Show" rocker gave an interview to i-D around the time that Madonna's record "Rebel Heart" was tearing up the charts. Speaking on the singer's image — Madonna was 56 at the time — Marilyn Manson told the outlet, "I'm kind of interested in this Madonna record. She looks hotter than ever." He then added, "I'd also like to let it be known that I still have a crush on Madonna and I would definitely fornicate with her."
While you might need a minute to let the romance wash over you (ahem), Madonna certainly wasted no time in issuing a brief, but effective, reply. Taking to her official Instagram, the "Vogue" singer posted an image of Manson with the text overlay that included his entreat to her. She captioned the post, "Um.........thanks! @marilynmanson #rebelheart."
She didn't say much, and she didn't have to. That "um ..." speaks volumes.
Now Manson's ex is playing Madonna in a movie
Interestingly enough, Marilyn Manson's ex-fiancee, actor Evan Rachel Wood, was recently cast as a young, up-and-coming Madonna in the new "Weird Al" Yankovic documentary "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story." Taking to Instagram, Wood posted a still from the movie that stars "Harry Potter" legend Daniel Radcliffe in the titular role. She captioned the post, "I am having WAY TOO MUCH FUN playing the iconic Madonna ..."
It's probably for the best that Madonna never took up Manson's offer, as Wood accused him of sexual assault in early 2021 on Instagram, writing that she was the subject of "grooming" and was "abused." She wrote, "He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail."
Madonna in recent years has also been vocal about the sexual assault she suffered in the late 1970s before becoming famous. In 2015 she told Howard Stern why she never reported it. "You've already been violated, so then, do you want to talk about it? Do you want to make it public? No, it's just not worth it," she said (via Glamour). "It's too humiliating." That said, it's probably safe to say Madonna and Manson will never happen.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).