Marilyn Manson's character has been removed from the third season of Starz's fantasy drama American Gods and here's why. After a few weeks of tumult and serious accusations leveled at him, Manson has also been dropped by his record label, and his episode of Shudder's horror anthology Creepshow has been scrapped. Manson's American Gods character Johan Wengren has already appeared in two episodes - "A Winter's Tale" and "The Unseen" - but his final appearance in the show is currently being edited out.

Johan is the lead singer of Blood Death, a Viking death metal band whose music provides Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane), otherwise known as Odin, with power that he can use in his war against the New Gods. The character is a new addition to the show and doesn't appear in Neil Gaiman's American Gods novel upon which the series is based. Johan is a Norse berserker whose concerts celebrate Wednesday - the season opens with one such ritual. However, when Johan's bandmates are murdered in a later episode, Wednesday suspects the singer may have murdered them in a rage. Wednesday suggests that he simply form another band, which angers an already unstable Johan. When the Valhalla East bar blows up, along with many of Wednesday's new believers, Cordelia (Ashley Reyes) believes it to be Johan's doing.

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Starz made the choice to cut Manson from his final American Gods appearance as a direct result of sexual assault allegations made against him by multiple women, including Evan Rachel Wood, all of whom publicly stated that Manson abused them. Wood has long been vocal about being a victim of sexual assault and domestic violence. She has testified before Congress and the California Senate, advocating for a bill of rights for sexual assault survivors while detailing her own traumatic experience with an abusive partner, who, at the time, she did not outright name as Manson.

Marilyn Manson and Ian McShane in American Gods

Wood named Manson as her abuser in 2021, however, stating that he groomed her when she was a teenager and that he abused and gaslit her throughout their relationship, which began when she was 19 and he was 38. They met in 2007 and were in a relationship for three years before getting engaged in 2010. They split up that same year. Manson has denied all of the allegations, but other women have come out to share their own stories involving Manson.

Starz has not said whether the character of Johan will return to American Gods in a potential season 4. However, the fact that they are able to edit Manson's performance out and that he was only in 3 episodes in the first place suggests that the plot of this third season will remain intact. Considering American Gods is already a series embroiled in behind the scenes controversy thanks to its unceremonious firing of Orlando Jones in his role as beloved character Mr. Nancy, it is commendable that Starz sided with abuse survivors and chose to cut Manson from his final episode.

Next: American Gods Season 3 Fixes The Biggest Problem With The Book