Comedian and actor Russell Brand is facing allegations of rape, sexual harassment, and emotional abuse spanning a seven-year period during the peak of his fame. These accusations have emerged as the result of a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches program.
Four women have come forward to accuse Brand of sexual harassment between 2006 and 2013. Brand has vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that his relationships were always consensual.
During the years covered by the accusations, Brand held various high-profile roles, including positions at BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, as well as acting in Hollywood films.
The investigation also delves into claims of Brand’s controlling, aggressive, and predatory behavior. The findings were published in The Sunday Times, while the documentary film “Russell Brand – In Plain Sight” aired on Channel 4.
Shortly after the accusations became public, Brand performed a scheduled comedy show at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in northwest London, which accommodates 2,000 people as part of his Bipolarization tour. During the approximately one-hour set, Brand briefly alluded to the allegations but did not directly address them. He told the audience that there were things he wanted to discuss but couldn’t.
Several women have made accusations against Brand as part of the investigation. Four of these women allege sexual harassment. One woman accuses Brand of raping her on the wall of her Los Angeles home and receiving treatment at a rape crisis center on the same day. The Times claims to have seen medical records supporting this.
The second woman alleges that Brand assaulted her when she was 16 years old and still in school, while he was in his early 30s. She claims he referred to her as a “child” during their tumultuous and emotionally controlling relationship.
The third woman claims that Brand sexually harassed her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and that he threatened legal action if she disclosed her allegations to others.
The fourth woman alleges sexual harassment by Brand and physical and emotional abuse.
On Friday, Russell Brand released a video in which he denied “serious criminal allegations” that he claimed were being made against him. The actor and comedian stated that he had received letters from a television company and a newspaper containing a “series” of “aggressive attacks.”
In a video posted on YouTube and X (formerly known as Twitter), Brand said, “Amidst a series of shocking and rather dramatic attacks, there are some very serious allegations that I vehemently deny. These allegations pertain to my time working in mainstream media, when I was a regular in newspapers, when I was in films, and, as I’ve written extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous. Now, during that time, the relationships that I had were entirely consensual.”
Brand expressed his belief that he is the target of a “coordinated attack” and stated that he will investigate the matter because it is “very, very serious.”
Although the comedian’s name is not explicitly mentioned, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that they were “aware of media reporting regarding a series of allegations of sexual harassment” but had not received any formal reports.
“If anyone believes they have been a victim of sexual violence, no matter how long ago it occurred, we would encourage them to contact the police,” they added.
The Sunday Times reported that all of the women felt ready to speak out only after being approached by journalists. The newspaper noted that some felt compelled to come forward due to Brand’s recent emergence as an online health influencer. Most of the women, who did not know each other, chose to remain anonymous.
The Sunday Times gave Brand eight days to respond in detail to the allegations, and when given further opportunity to respond, Brand published his video statement on his YouTube channel.
