Mariqueen Arrabaca Maandig Reznor was born in the Philippines on April 5th, 1981. She is best known as a composer, singer, and general music performer. Unfortunately, information on where in the Philipines she was born is unavailable. Her family moved to Orange County, California, when she was young.
Mariqueen Maandig became interested in music as a career when she was a teenager. She was inspired by the soundtrack to the musical Miss Saigon and would practice her vocalizations to match it. She was interested in acting in high school but didn’t stick to it, instead enrolling in fashion school after high school to learn to be a personal shopper or stylist. That did not stick, either, and she turned her attention back to singing.
What was Mariqueen Maandig’s early career like?
West Indian Girl
As Mariqueen turned her attention towards music again, an opportunity arose. In 2003 a friend of hers had suggested that Mariqueen audition for a band that was looking for a female vocalist. She would audition and join the band West Indian Girl as a backing vocalist. West Indian Girl was a psychedelic indie-rock band, and she would contribute to the albums West Indian Girl and 4th & Wall. While Mariqueen suggests her role in the band was minimal, her stage presence was not, and many fans were taken in by her beauty.
She appeared in the January 2009 issue of Playboy magazine as the “Becoming Attraction” for the month. Playboy had contacted her because of her appearances on the local Hollywood scene. She took the modeling job because she didn’t need to pose nude for it.
How To Destroy Angels
By 2009 she had married Trent Reznor; by 2010, she, Reznor, and NIN-member Aittucs Ross launched How To Destroy Angels, releasing two EPs, a cover, and an album, Welcome Oblivion. Welcome Oblivion was released to mid to solid standing among reviewers. Many described it as dark and sensual in sound, with praise for Mariqueen’s vocals layered over the synth sound of the album.
The reaction among Nine Inch Nails fans was initially mixed, but the general appraisal of the material has grown more positive over the years since the release. Mariqueen has continued collaborating with her husband and has moved into composing and assisting on new Nine Inch Nails releases.
What does she do these days?
Mariqueen Maandig continues to make music to this day, most recently assisting on backing vocals on NIN tracks such as “Shit Mirror.” She was also seen with the band during their stage segment on Twin Peaks: The Return in 2017.
She and Trent Reznor are happily married and raising five children in Beverly Hills, California.
Relationship and marriage to Trent Reznor
Mariqueen Maandig married Trent Reznor on October 17th, 2009. The pair seemed to have met on Twitter initially, as Mariqueen had already established a career for herself, and Reznor had taken notice.
However, the pair have remained coy about their meeting, aiming for an air of mystery. However, it seems fans recall their early flirting on Twitter quite vividly.
How did some Nine Inch Nails fans react to her relationship with Trent Reznor?
Some initial reactions among Nine Inch Nails fans were unfortunate upon learning of Mariqueen’s engagement and marriage to Trent. It stems from a couple of factors.
First, there was a concern that marriage and happiness would seriously alter Reznor’s work, as he had been on record publicly about how depression and anxiety fueled his creative process. Some fans assumed that being happily married would result in him losing a creative edge.
Secondly, a concern was that Mariqueen’s role in his life would result in a “Yoko Ono” situation, a gross exaggeration of existing issues within The Beatles. A section of Nine Inch Nails fans was anxious that Trent Reznor’s work on How To Destroy Angels was some sort of manipulative maneuver on the part of Mariqueen.
Sadly, the third reason was simple racism. Some NIN fans took exception to Mariqueen for being Filipina. Some of the claims and anxieties were disgusting and fueled by racist thoughts. Many assumed she was with Trent for his money.
Ultimately, this is a strong example of a parasocial relationship where fans find themselves overly involved in the personal lives of celebrities.
Children
Mariqueen Maandig and Trent Reznor have had five children together. They have had four sons and one daughter.
Their sons are Lazarus Echo Reznor (born October 10th, 2010), Balthazar Venn Reznor (born December 31st, 2011), a third son whose name has been kept private (born November 1st, 2015), and a fourth son whose name has also been kept confidential (born January of 2020).
Their daughter is Nova Lux Reznor (born in December 2016).
Social media
Mariqueen Maandig is on social media. She has accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace.
