Manson tries to hide how much he's taken fans for

He might like to shock people with, ooh, his eyeliner and stuff, but there's one shock that Marilyn Manson doesn't want to spring on people: just how much cash he's made from dressing up like a Target Halloween demon every day.

He's trying to stop the legal team representing disgruntled former goth-in-arms Stephen Bier from forcing financial details into the public realm as part of their bid to claw back some earnings:

"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.

Bier's response misses the point a little:

"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.

We've not quite been able to puzzle out why drinking absinthe means that everyone has, automatically, a right to see your bank statements.

Ooh! Scary Manson

Goodness, will Marilyn Manson ever stop freaking out the squares. You'll never guess what he's doing now:

He's got a microphone shaped a bit like a kitchen knife.

OOOOh-er.

Although, it actually looks a little more like the plastic cleaver I got in a play kitchen set when I was about five. But, still, scary, huh.

Meanwhile, former member of the Spooky Kids Stephen Bier is pushing forward with his complaint that Manson ripped off his bandmates. He's now filed papers in LA alleging that Evan Rachel Wood got:

the "highest salary ever paid to any actress in any music video in history" for starring in his "Heart Shaped Glasses" music promo.

Ms Wood is also Manson's partner, of course.

Bier also claims that Manson misused funds to have his copies of Alice In Wonderland shipped about.