Boy George has publicly condemned fellow 1980s pop icon Marilyn, branding him a "right-wing nut job" for sharing a supposed "anti-trans" update on social media.
The exchange centred on a video from the account "Anti Woke Memes" showing social media influencer Lilly Contino correcting staff who had supposedly used the wrong pronouns.
"Is there ANYONE who can’t see what’s going on here??" Marilyn penned in response to the clip of Contino.
"The self satisfied look of smugness is from someone who is apparently assured that they will get precisely what they’re looking for!! Making money from other people’s intentionally caused discomfort & embarrassment is NOT cute!" (sic)
Oh Marilyn, why are you siding with hideous transphobes? It's all kids of sad and disappointing. If you see someone who isn't pulling off the feminine look to your satisfaction and you get a kick of calling them 'sir' then you are just being cruel. Those who haven't quite got the…
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) February 16, 2026
The Culture Club frontman responded directly to Marilyn's X post about the transgender influencer, writing: "Oh Marilyn, why are you siding with hideous transphobes? It's all kinds of sad and disappointing."
Boy George continued his rebuke, stating: "If you see someone who isn't pulling off the feminine look to your satisfaction and you get a kick of calling them 'sir' then you are just being cruel."
He added: "Those who haven't quite got the feminine touch are the ones you need to hug. You should be ashamed of yourself. Right-wing nut job."
This isn't the first time Marilyn, whose real name is Peter Robinson, has come under fire from trans activists and allies for his criticism of the movement.
Boy George and Marilyn in the 1980s were two of the country's biggest popstars
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On February 15, Marilyn responded to a post mocking a trans woman's coming out video with the words: "Please go back in."
Days earlier, he had shared content criticising Contino while invoking religious arguments, writing: "God put men and women here, and you are who you ARE!!! Or is one now trying to say that God makes MISTAKES??!!!"
The performer also shared material from the anti-woke account Libs of TikTok, calling the influencer an "intentionally obstreperous nightmare".
Following Boy George's attack on Marilyn, it's safe to say social media was well and truly divided, with many jumping to Marilyn's defence.
Boy George (middle) and Marilyn (right) have endured a complicated friendship over the years
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"In this instance, I have to agree with Marilyn. (Contino) does this purely for money and clicks," one X user replied.
A second echoed: "This has nothing to do with transphobia. It’s about someone walking into businesses, provoking innocent employees, and gaslighting them for personal social media clout.
"Not everything is 'phobic.' Sometimes it’s just obvious what’s really going on."
Even those who agreed with Boy George's sentiment argued Contino wasn't the right person to back. "Agree with this but Lily Tino is terribly problematic," a third X user argued.
Boy George
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A fourth concurred: "Oh George, why are you siding with a fraud? The person in the video is well-known as a provocateur. Calling someone else a nut job without making the effort to actually investigate a little deeper makes you even crazier."
Elsewhere, a fifth hit out further: "Marilyn is 100% correct! Your hideous tranphobes comment is so disgusting, women that don’t want agps creepin on them somehow offend you does it? You really have lost your way. Sad."
However, some sided with Boy George's remarks, although they still expressed apprehension about Contino's intentions. "This particular person is really shunned by trans community, but yeah I see Marilyn has embraced transphobia which is truly mind boggling, I just can’t," one X user weighed in. (sic)
Marilyn shot to fame in the 1980s, becoming famous for his androgynous, gender-bending appearance. His song Calling Your Name reached the top five in the UK charts.
He was a prominent figure in the New Romantic movement, known for wearing vintage dresses and bleached blonde hair inspired by Marilyn Monroe.
In the 1990s, Marilyn had a relationship with Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, as detailed in Boy George's autobiography.
The performer was a regular at London's Blitz nightclub alongside Boy George, and the two share a complicated history.
They were close friends and roommates during the emergence of the New Romantics scene but their bond faced numerous obstacles.
And also, let’s pretend that ‘other stuff’ isn’t an issue for a second…most guys aren’t looking for this vibe either!! They tend to love feminine women who are strong internally. Guys love feeling like they’re needed to ‘protect’ their woman. As i said, you ain’t one so no probs
— Marilyn (@MisterMarilyn) February 19, 2026
Their relationship has cycled through numerous phases: from flatmates in London squats to chart competitors, then bitter rivals, before reconciling as friends once more.
In 2015, Boy George produced new tracks for Marilyn, and the pair appeared together at the launch of Naomi Campbell's book the following year.
However, they fell out again in 2021 over the Culture Club biopic Karma Chameleon, which remains unreleased.
That dispute appeared to have been resolved shortly after, but their latest public clash suggests the former friends are once again at loggerheads.
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