Russell Brand is facing sexual assault, rape and emotional abuse allegations by multiple women.
The U.K. newspaper The Times published a bombshell article about the actor and comedian, 48, on Saturday, September 16, in which four women alleged being sexually assaulted by Brand between the years of 2006 and 2013.
Ahead of the article’s publication — a collaboration with the Channel 4 series Dispatches —Brand denied the “very serious allegations” against him in a video posted via X (formerly known as Twitter) on Saturday.
“I’ve received two extremely disturbing letters, or a letter and an email, one from a mainstream media TV company [and] one from a newspaper, listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks,” he explained, though did not go into detail about the claims.
Brand noted that his past “promiscuous” relationships were “absolutely, always consensual.” He added: “I was always transparent about that then — almost too transparent. And I’m being transparent about it now as well. And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question [if] there is another agenda at play?”
Scroll down for all the details on Russell’s ongoing sexual assault scandal:
What Are the Allegations Against Russell Brand?
According to The Sunday Times — the Times’ sister outlet —the allegations against Brand occurred between 2006 and 2013 during his time acting in Hollywood and working as a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4. One woman, referred to by the name Alice, accused Brand of being sexually and emotionally abusive towards her throughout their 2006 relationship, during which she was 16 years old and he was 30. She previously reported her claims to Brand’s agent, who put her in touch with his lawyer who shut down her allegations.
Another woman, identified as Nadia, claims Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home in July 2012, after which she received treatment at a rape crisis center. A third woman — Phoebe — also accused Brand of sexually assaulting her while working at his home in 2013.
Following the initial article, the outlet reported that multiple women had come forward with new allegations against Brand, prompting Parliament member Caroline Nokes to call for U.K. and U.S. police to investigate.
“This merits and needs a criminal investigation, because for too long we have seen men — and the perpetrators of these sorts of crimes are almost invariably men — not being held to account for their behaviors and their actions,” she told BBC Radio, according to Time.
The London Metropolitan Police later revealed that they were investigating a 2003 sexual assault investigation that was reported following the publication of The Times’ report.
The Thames Valley Police announced they were joining the investigation in October 2023 after a woman came forward with “new information” regarding a “harassment and stalking” report. According to the BBC, the woman previously reported her allegations several times between 2018 and 2022 but no action was taken against Brand. The comedian previously accused the woman of harassing him in 2017.
Has Russell Brand Denied the Allegations Against Him?
“I don’t mind [the media] using my books and my stand-up to talk about my promiscuous, consensual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations,” Brand noted in his denial video, which was also uploaded to his YouTube channel. “Also, it’s worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently, in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack.”
He went on to state that he felt like he was “being attacked” and that he and his team were looking into the claims.
Brand subtly addressed the allegations again in a September 2023 livestream on the streaming platform Rumble. “It appears that apparently independent or at least separate news organizations are collaborating — and I hesitate to use this word — conspiring to control global news narratives in some of the most important stories in the world,” he told fans, according to Deadline.
How Has Russell Brand’s Career Been Affected?
Hours after news of the misconduct scandal broke, Brand received a standing ovation during a stand-up show at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. After the performance, it was announced that the remaining dates of his “Bipolarisation” comedy tour had been postponed.
At the time, Deadline reported that Brand was let go from the Comedy Central series Roast Battle after one season in 2018 following accusations of being a “sexual predator” on set. Days later, the outlet revealed that the BBC and Channel 4 had removed content featuring Brand from their platforms.
“We’ve reviewed the content and made a considered decision to remove some of it, having assessed that it now falls below public expectations,” a BBC spokesperson told Deadline on Tuesday, September 19, adding, “[The BBC] does not ban or remove content when it is a matter of public record unless we have justification for doing so.”
YouTube also took action against Brand by suspending his ability to monetize content on his channel, meaning Brand can no longer earn profits from ads featured in videos.
What Have Celebrities Said About Brand’s Past Behavior?
Amid the scandal, several interviews resurfaced featuring celebrities speaking out against Brand’s previous inappropriate behavior.
His ex-wife, Katy Perry, told Vogue in 2013 that she did not want to publicly detail what led to their 2011 divorce. “I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending, but then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day,” she explained. “I let go and I was like: This isn’t because of me; this is beyond me. So I have moved on from that.”
Singer Dannii Minogue — sister of pop star Kylie Minogue — called Brand a “vile predator” following her interview on his former MTV series 1 Leicester Square. “I certainly don’t think he has cured his sex addiction, that’s for sure,” she told The Mirror in 2006. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
She continued: “Throughout the whole interview he kept making shocking remarks that I can’t even repeat,” adding that he also made comments about her “fabulous breasts.”
How Many Complaints Are Being Investigated?
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) announced via news release in November 2023 that it had received five complaints about “inappropriate behavior” demonstrated by Brand while he was working on its radio shows between 2006 and 2008. Two of the complaints were made between 2006 and 2008. Another complainant contacted the BBC in 2019, while two others came forward after the initial sexual assault allegations against Brand made headlines in September 2023.
The BBC noted that the five complaints involve “allegations of inappropriate conduct in the workplace” including “urinating in bottles in a BBC studio” and “inappropriate use of BBC cars.” Us Weekly has reached out to Brand for comment.
BBC began an inquiry into Brand’s conduct in September 2023 after news broke that several women had accused the actor of sexual assault.
Has Brand Met With Law Enforcement?
According to the BBC and The Times of London, Brand was reportedly interviewed at a South London police station on November 16, 2023.
“A man in his 40s attended a police station in South London on Thursday 16 November 2023,” the Metropolitan Police shared in a written statement with People on Monday, November 20. “He was interviewed under caution by detectives in relation to three non-recent sexual offenses. Enquiries continue.”
If you have experienced sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for confidential support.
