Garbage star speaks out on sexual assault at recent photo shoot

Garbage singer Shirley Manson has spoken out about the sickening moment a '˜fan' groped her at a photo shoot in the United States.

Shirley Manson revealed she was sexually assaulted by a 'fan' at a photo shoot in the United States last year.

The Edinburgh-born rockstar revealed the man refused to stop grabbing her breast even when she tried to move his hand away during the incident before a radio show last year.

The 51-year-old, who attended Broughton High School before going on to sell 17 million albums worldwide thanks to hits including ‘Only Happy When It Rains,’ said she was “frozen” with fear before the man “smirked and walked away”.

She told The Sun: “Very recently, I’m talking six months ago, I was doing a radio show in America and a guy was standing next to me getting his photograph taken. He put his arm around me and his hand was on my breast.

“There was a moment in my brain where I thought, ‘His hand is on my t*t. OK, this is weird. Maybe he is nervous, maybe it is accidental’.

“I gave him the benefit of the doubt until I tried to move his hand and he refused to move it.”

Shirley continued: “I went into this strange freeze where I just kept pushing his hand determined to get his hand off my breast.

“I was surrounded by people. My band was there.

“There were radio programmers around me. Other members of the public were in attendance. In those frozen moments I was in this battle with this dude who had his hand on my boob.

“I eventually managed to push his hand down and then he walked off. I didn’t say anything because I had been caught in the moment like a frozen animal.”

Manson said sexual harassment was widespread in the music industry, adding men “couldn’t relate” to the experience.

She said: “He was just a punter. I don’t even know what he looks like. I didn’t get a visual on him. That is one of many moments that have occurred in my life and to all women.

“If that is what is happening to me, at 51, a well-known singer, what is happening to the girl next door?

“Men can’t relate because men don’t have to always be alert — even when you have security guards around you in broad daylight.”

She continued: “Everyone is curious as to why the music industry hasn’t exploded with the same kind of scandals as Hollywood.

“Because anyone who has been involved in the music industry for any length of time knows the same kind of behaviour has gone on since time immemorial.

“Everyone is perplexed as to why this hasn’t garnered the same kind of attention and galvanisation.”