Russell Brand denies accusations of rape and sexual assault by several women

Comedian and actor russell brand He has been accused of rape, sexual assault and other abusive behavior during the height of his Hollywood fame.

In a joint investigation published on Saturday by the Times of London and “Dispatches,” a news program on Britain’s Channel 4, numerous women allege they were sexually assaulted by Brand between 2006 and 2013, during which time he went from an eccentric British television personality to a debauched Hollywood star. .

Brand preemptively denied the allegations in a video posted to his YouTube channel on Friday, saying he was refuting the “very, very serious criminal allegations” that were about to come out against him. Brand, who has recast himself as an anti-establishment commentator and given a platform to conspiracy theories about vaccines and the 9/11 attacks, said the “mainstream media” was attacking him because of his views. (The Times of London is owned by Rupert Murdoch.)

“The relationships I had were absolutely and always consensual. So I was always transparent about it. Almost too transparent, and now I am being transparent,” she stated. “Seeing that transparency has become something criminal that I strongly deny, makes me wonder: is there another agenda at play?”

In the Times article, a woman alleges that Brand raped her while pinning her against a wall in his Los Angeles home in 2012, a time when he was focused on building his showbiz career through film roles. and an FX talk show called “Brand X.” Medical records provided to the Times of London indicate that she was treated at a rape crisis center the next day. Images of text messages, included in the report, show that Brand sent a text message apologizing for her “crazy and selfish” behavior. Former colleagues cited in the article claim that Brand treated members of his team like “pimps” who helped him get sex and that he often behaved inappropriately in the workplace.

Another woman alleges that she became involved with Brand when she was 16 and he was 31, and that he referred to her as “the girl” in their relationship. According to the woman, Brand forced his penis down her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe, and she rejected him by punching him in the stomach.

A third woman, who met Brand in Alcoholics Anonymous and later worked with him, said Brand sexually assaulted her at his West Hollywood property before a group meeting in 2013. When the woman began telling her friends what she had allegedly happened, Brand allegedly threatened legal action against her.

The Times of London story also includes other allegations of workplace misconduct and inappropriate comments by Brand, who cultivated a lewd comedic persona and sought treatment for his sex addiction.

A special 90-minute episode of “Dispatches,” called “Russell Brand: In Plain Sight,” is scheduled to air Saturday on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. I noticed a list for a special “on Russell Brand’s treatment of women” on Friday, which led to chatter online.

Brand got his start on British television and became known in the United States playing rock star Aldous Snow in the 2008 film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and the buddy spin-off comedy “Get Him to the Greek.” After a brief marriage to pop star Katy Perry and a failed late-night show on FX, his star dimmed and he turned to political activism and commentary in the United Kingdom.

Brand initially adopted more liberal views, protesting against austerity measures, insulting nationalist politician Nigel Farage on television and appearing in a documentary about his new activism. But since 2020, The brand has found a new niche as a contrarian influencer, a “freethinker” expert, and an online broadcaster who has conveyed and endorsed numerous debunked ideas. He built a large following on YouTube (and later Rumble, an alternative streaming platform) by posting videos criticizing COVID-19 lockdowns, Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci and “the globalist master plan,” and other monsters. right. In July, he interviewed Tucker Carlson, the Fox News star’s first interview since he was fired from the network in April.