Russell Brand Accused of Rape, Sexual Assault During Height of His Fame
Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse during a seven-year period at the height of his fame.
Four women have alleged that Brand sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013, while he was a BBC presenter and acting in Hollywood films, a joint investigation among The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches found. Other accusations include Brand’s controlling, abusive and predatory behavior.
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The first woman told the news outlets that Brand raped her against a wall in Los Angeles, where she was treated at a rape crisis center the same day. The investigation also found text messages between the woman and Brand. She messaged him, saying, “When a girl say[s] NO it means no.” The actor allegedly replied that he was “very sorry.”
Another woman alleged that the comedian assaulted her when he was 31, and she was 16. She explained that he called her “the child” during their emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for around three months. She claimed that he “forced his penis down her throat” and made her choke, only backing off when she punched him in the stomach.
A third woman told the outlets that Brand sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in L.A. and said he threatened to take legal action if she went public with what happened. The fourth woman also alleged the actor sexually assaulted her and was physically and emotionally abusive toward her.
The actor and comedian preemptively denied the allegations in a video posted to his social media platforms on Friday. He said he received an email and a letter from a mainstream TV company and a newspaper that listed several “egregious and aggressive” acts that he “absolutely refute[s].”
“These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous,” he said in the video posted to his Twitter and Instagram. “Now during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then — almost too transparent — and I’m being transparent about it now as well.”
He continued, saying that he believes that transparency is being used to show something criminal that he did not do and makes him think there may be another agenda at play. He cited the “coordinated media attacks” that Joe Rogan faced when he took Ivermectin for COVID-19, noting this happened to the podcast host because the mainstream media didn’t approve of the medication.
“I’m aware that you guys have been saying in the comments for a while: ‘Watch out Russell, they’re coming for you. You’re getting too close to the truth. Russell Brand did not kill himself.’ I know that a year ago, there was a spate of articles ‘Russell Brand’s a conspiracy theorist,’ ‘Russell Brand’s right-wing,'” the comedian said. “It’s been clear to me, or at least it feels to me like, there’s a serious and concerted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kinds of voices, and I mean my voice along with your voice.”
Brand explained that he doesn’t mind his previous “promiscuous, consensual conduct” being used in media stories, but he “seriously” refutes the criminal allegations. He also mentioned that there are people who have evidence that contradicts the allegations, without providing further details.
“I feel like I’m being attacked, and plainly, they are working very closely together,” he concluded his preemptive denial of the allegations. “We are obviously going to look into this matter because it’s very, very serious. In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake, but, more important than any of that, if you can, please stay free.”
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