Comedian, actor and social influencer Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse based on allegations from four women who knew him for seven years at the height of his fame.
Brand denies the allegations and has said all of his relationships were consensual.
One woman claimed Brand raped her, while three others accused him of sexual assault, according to a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times of London and Channel 4’s “Dispatches.” women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive.
The women said they only felt ready to tell their story after being approached by journalists, with some citing Brand’s newfound notoriety as an online wellness influencer as a factor in their decision to speak .
The Times of London said Monday that more women had contacted the newspaper with allegations against Brand and that they would be “rigorously vetted.”
Since the allegations, Brand has been fired from his agent, had his affiliation with a women’s drug addiction charity removed and received calls to face a criminal investigation.
Russell Brand denies sexual assault allegations before stories are published
Before the articles were published, Brand posted a video online denying the allegations, which had been outlined in two “extremely disturbing letters” from a “mainstream” television company and a newspaper. He did not identify the news agencies by name.
Among the accusers, who have not been named, one said she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with him when she was 16 and still in school .
Another woman claims Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012. She was treated at a rape crisis center the same day, according to the Times of London report.
“Amid this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks, are very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,” he said. “These allegations relate to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies and, as I’ve written a lot in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.
“Now, during this period of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual,” he added. “I was always transparent about it then, almost too transparent, and I am now as well.” Brand also suggested that these reports were part of a coordinated attack to discredit him because of his views. Brand has been criticized for expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and interviewing controversial podcasters like Joe Rogan.
“Seeing this transparency metastasized into something criminal, which I absolutely deny, makes me wonder if there is another agenda at play,” Brand said.
The allegations reported by newspapers and Channel 4 cover the period between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was a major star in Britain with increasing visibility in the United States.
Russell Brand’s agent drops him
Brand’s talent agency, Tavistock Wood, removed him from its roster following allegations, which an agency representative says they have been aware of since 2020.
“Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegations made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him,” a Tavistock Wood representative told USA TODAY in a statement Sunday. “TW has terminated all professional ties with Brand.”
Book publisher stops working with Russell Brand
Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird has ended its working relationship with Brand. “These are very serious allegations and in light of them, Bluebird has made the decision to suspend any future publications with Russell Brand,” a spokesperson told USA TODAY on Monday.
Under Bluebird, Brand published “Recovery: Freedom from our Addictions” in 2017. A follow-up, “Recovery: The Workbook,” was scheduled for release in December.
British police urged to conduct criminal investigation against Russell Brand
British Conservative lawmaker Caroline Nokes, who chairs the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, urged British and US police to investigate the “incredibly shocking” allegations.
“This deserves and requires a criminal investigation, because for too long we have seen men – and the perpetrators of these kinds of crimes are almost invariably men – not being held accountable for their behavior and their actions,” he said. -she declared on BBC radio.
London’s Metropolitan Police told the Associated Press it would speak to the Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure “any victims of crime they have spoken to know how they can report any allegations criminal to the police.
Women’s charity cuts ties with Russell Brand
Brand’s charity, Stay Free Foundation, raised funds in 2022 for Trevi Women, a charity that helps mothers recover from drug and alcohol addiction as well as providing social services to women and to their children. In a statement shared on Trevi Women’s Instagram on Saturday, the charity said it was “deeply saddened and distressed by the stories reported on tonight’s Channel 4 Dispatches regarding Russell Brand”.
“We have ended our association with Russell Brand and the Stay Free Foundation,” the organization announced. “As a charity whose values put women’s voices at the heart of what we do, we always prioritize supporting women affected by violence and abuse and empowering them to live free from violence and fear. »
Trevi Women added: “We understand that for some women today’s media content may be triggering, and for those who may need support, please contact The Survivor Pathway. »
Russell Brand denies rape.sexual assault allegations published by three British news agencies
Russell Brand Performs Sold-Out Comedy Show Following Sexual Assault Allegations
Despite the recent allegations against Brand, the comedian was greeted with cheers during the performance of sold-out comedy show “Bipolarization” at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theater on Saturday. The hall can accommodate 2,000 people.
“I love you. I love you. Thank you. There are some things I can’t talk about and I hope you appreciate that I’m going to give you everything I have,” he said to the crowd, according to Deadline and The Wrap.
The recommended age for the show was 16 and up.
Russell Brand rambleson ‘propagandistic’ MSNBC, says it’s ‘no different’ from Fox News
Who is Russell Brand?
Brand rose to fame as a stand-up comedian in Britain in the early 2000s, landing him starring roles on Channel 4 and later BBC Radio, where he capitalized on his reputation for outrageous behavior and risky jokes. In recent years, he has transformed himself into a political commentator and influencer, posting YouTube videos on topics such as personal freedom and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brand was suspended by the BBC in 2008 for making lewd calls to “Fawlty Towers” actor Andrew Sachs, in which he bragged about having sex with Sachs’ granddaughter. He quit his radio show following the incident, which sparked thousands of complaints to the state-funded channel.
He then made the jump to Hollywood, appearing in films such as 2008’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and the 2011 remake of “Arthur.”
Katy Perry and Russell Brand were married before divorcing in 2012
Brand married American pop star Katy Perry in 2010 after meeting on the set of “Get Him to the Greek” in 2009. The two divorced in 2012, with Perry claiming in her June 2013 Vogue cover story that Brand had filed for divorce via text message.
“At first, when I met him, he wanted an equal, and I think a lot of times strong men want an equal, but then they get that equal and they’re like, I can’t handle equality. He didn’t like the atmosphere where I’m the boss of the tour,” she said at the time. “So it was really hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting. I felt very responsible for how that story ended, but then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep her locked in my safe for a rainy day.”
Contributor: Jill Lawless, Danica Kirka, Associated Press
USA Today
