Marilyn Manson squandered his group's earnings on skeletons of children

Shock rocker Marilyn Manson squandered his group's earnings on skeletons of children and African death masks, a former band member has claimed in a lawsuit.

Stephen Bier - a keyboard player in Marilyn Manson - alleges that the frontman, real name Brian Warner, made a slew of "sick and disturbing purchases".

A complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by Bier's lawyer, Keith Fink, says Manson, 38, bought African masks made of human skin, a full skeleton of a four-year-old Chinese girl that Manson is said to have turned into a chandelier, and another skeleton of a man in a wheelchair.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, claims that all of the items are illegal in the US.

He is also said to have bought swastika wall tiles and matching custom rugs, a mounted grizzly bear and two mounted baboons.

The lawsuit also claims that Manson arranged for girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood to star in his "Heart Shaped Glasses" video for the "highest salary ever paid to any actress in any music video in history."

He also allegedly used funds to pay roadies to move suitcases filled with "Alice in Wonderland" books because he was obsessed with author Lewis Carroll.

Bier has previously claimed that he was promised "partnership proceeds" from the band in 1993, only to see Manson spend large amounts of money on a "multi-million-dollar home," "a lavish wedding in Ireland" and "an engagement ring to Dita von Teese," Manson's former wife.

Bier said that when he requested his share of the so-called "partnership proceeds," Manson "devised a campaign to drive Bier out of the band and rob him of his entitlement."

Bier has played keyboards on every Manson album except for the newest one, "Eat Me, Drink Me".

He was said to have left the Manson band shortly before the album's release in order to concentrate on his photography.

Manson was unavailable for comment.