Topline
Actor Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women, allegations revealed by a joint investigation by major British news outlets Saturday that Brand strongly denied in a video Friday.
Brand denied the allegations in a video posted to his YouTube channel. (Photo by Mike … [+] Marsland/WireImage)
Key Facts
The allegations, reported by Channel 4—a publicly owned broadcast TV channel—and British newspapers The Times and The Sunday Times, include accusations from four women, one of whom accused Brand of raping her against a wall in his Los Angeles home before being treated at a rape crisis center the same day, according to medical records cited by The Times.
Another woman alleged Brand sexually assaulted her at the age of 16, accusing the actor of a months-long emotionally abusive relationship, the report said.
Two other women claimed Brand sexually assaulted them, with one alleging he threatened legal action if she told anyone about her allegation.
Other women, separate from the four who alleged sexual assault and rape, accused brand of predatory and abusive behavior in The Times report.
Comedian Daniel Sloss, one of several comedians interviewed by The Times, said female comedians and women had been “warning each other about Russell” for many years.
Chief Critic
Brand posted a video on his YouTube channel ahead of the report and “absolutely” refuted the allegations, labeling the joint investigation as a “coordinated attack.” Near the end of the video, Brand said there are “witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct,” though he didn’t specify who those witnesses are.
Tangent
Brand is best known for his stand-up comedy and movies, including comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek, the latter of which he co-starred in alongside actor Jonah Hill. Brand was also married to Katy Perry in 2010 before divorcing the singer-songwriter 14 months later, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Key Background
Brand’s stand-up comedy and books have openly detailed his promiscuous sex life and drug addictions. In 2017, the actor turned wellness guru addressed his sex addiction in an interview with Us Weekly, telling the magazine it worsened after becoming clean from drugs. He has since overcome his addiction to porn and sex, according to Evie Magazine. Brand has shifted away from mainstream media hosting gigs to running his own YouTube channel (6.6 million subscribers) and a podcast titled Stay Free, where he talks about “revolutionary politics and spiritual awakening.” The podcast has been used by Brand as a platform for Covid-19 conspiracy theories, including the promotion of ivermectin, a drug falsely touted as a treatment for Covid by other podcasters including Joe Rogan. One of Brand’s videos was removed by YouTube over Covid misinformation, provoking the podcaster to shift some of his content to online video platform Rumble, the home of his Stay Free podcast episodes.
Further Reading
Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assaults and abuse (The Times)
How The Times and The Sunday Times investigated Russell Brand (The Times)
