Katherine Ryan Slams Billy Corgan Over 'F***ed Up' Comments on Age Gap and Marilyn Manson Defense

Comedian Katherine Ryan has sharply criticized Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan for remarks he made about his much younger wife and his defense of Marilyn Manson. Ryan, 43, called the 59-year-old musician an "a***hole" for suggesting that the 26-year age gap between him and his wife, Chloé Mendel, 33, had been an "advantage" to their relationship.

Corgan had stated that women of his generation were left "broken" by their experiences, while his wife had not suffered the same emotional wounds. Ryan countered this on her "Telling Everybody Everything" podcast, questioning who was "damaging" women of Corgan's generation and implying he and his peers were responsible.

"There's only room for, like, your trauma and your wife needs to be this young, untarnished accessory whose first experience with being broken is from you," Ryan said, expressing bafflement at Corgan's public disclosure of these views.

Corgan, who married fashion designer Mendel in 2023, made the comments on The New York Times' Popcast. The couple, who met in 2012 when he was 44 and she was 19, have three children. Corgan explained that he had encountered "a lot of broken women" before meeting Mendel, suggesting that her youth meant she "hadn't been wounded like so many people are."

Ryan found Corgan's explanation "fed up," stating, "It's just so fed up to say, like, wow, the women my own age were damaged by me and my friends. So I definitely had to start dating someone who was 19. Okay, hun."

Ryan also addressed Corgan's continued support for Marilyn Manson, who faces allegations of sexual assault and abuse from multiple women. Corgan defended the musician, stating he had known him for nearly 30 years and did not personally believe he was guilty. He cited his Christian beliefs about standing by friends, while acknowledging he could still criticize them.

"Yeah, because Marilyn Manson is likely not going to be assaulting you," Ryan retorted, questioning Corgan's awareness of Manson's behavior when they are not together.

She shared her own experiences, recounting ending a friendship with a famous man due to discomfort with his treatment of female romantic partners, even when his actions were not illegal. "People present different versions of themselves to different people," she explained, emphasizing the importance of distancing oneself from such individuals.

Ryan described Corgan's defense of Manson as "f***ing wild." Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, has denied the allegations. In January 2025, Los Angeles prosecutors announced no criminal charges would be filed after a four-year investigation, citing statutes of limitations for domestic violence allegations and insufficient proof beyond a reasonable doubt for sexual assault charges.

Referencing Corgan's long-standing reputation for being difficult, which has drawn criticism from former bandmates and other musicians, Ryan concluded, "You're an ahole... Even if you were super wildly successful today, you would not get away with being mean. Nobody likes mean anymore. Be f*ing professional."