Russell Brand allegations mount: Comedian dropped from agent, faces calls for investigation
Comedian, actor and social influencer Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse based on allegations from four women who knew him over a seven-year period at the height of his fame.
Brand is denying the allegations, and he said all of his relationships have been consensual.
One woman alleged Brand raped her, while three others accused him of sexual assault, according to a joint investigation from The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's "Dispatches." One of the women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive.
The women said that they only felt ready to tell their stories after being approached by reporters, with some citing Brand's newfound prominence as an online wellness influencer as a factor in their decision to speak.
The Times of London said Monday that more women had contacted the newspaper with allegations against Brand and they would be "rigorously checked."
Since the allegations, Brand has been dropped from his agent, had affiliation cut with a women's addiction recovery charity and had calls to be investigated criminally.
Russell Brand denies sexual assault allegations before stories come out
Before the stories were published, Brand posted a video online denying the allegations, which had been outlined in two "extremely disturbing letters" from a "mainstream media" television company and a newspaper. He didn't identify the news organizations by name.
The accusers, who have not been named, include one who said she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with him when she was 16 and she was still in school.
Another woman says Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012. She was treated at a rape crisis center the same day, per The Times of London's report.
"Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," he said. "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 have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.
"Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual," he added. "I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well." Brand also suggested that the reports were part of a coordinated attack designed to discredit him because of his views. Brand has been criticized for expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and interviewing contentious podcasters like Joe Rogan.
"To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question is there another agenda at play," Brand said.
The allegations reported by the newspapers and Channel 4 cover the period between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was a major star in Britain with a growing U.S. profile.
Russell Brand's agent drops him
Brand's talent agency Tavistock Wood cut him from its roster in the wake of allegations, which an agency rep says its been aware of since 2020.
"Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him," a representative from Tavistock Wood told USA TODAY in a statement Sunday. "TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand."
Book publisher halts working with Russell Brand
Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird has halted its working relationship with Brand. "These are very serious allegations and in the light of them, Bluebird has taken the decision to pause all future publishing with Russell Brand," a spokesperson told USA TODAY Monday.
Under Bluebird, Brand published "Recovery: Freedom from our Addictions" in 2017. A follow-up, "Recovery: The Workbook" was scheduled for release in December.
UK police urged to conduct a criminal investigation against Russell Brand
Conservative U.K. legislator Caroline Nokes, who chairs the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, urged police in both Britain and the United States to investigate the "incredibly shocking" allegations.
"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.
London's Metropolitan Police force told the Associated Press it would speak to the Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure "any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police."
Women's charity cuts ties with Russell Brand
Brand's charity Stay Free Foundation raised money in 2022 for Trevi Women, a charity that aids mothers with drug and alcohol rehabilitation as well as social services for the women and their children. In a statement shared on the Trevi Women's Instagram Saturday, the charity said they are "deeply saddened and upset by the stories reported on this evening's Channel 4 Dispatches program regarding Russell Brand."
"We have ended our association with Russell Brand and the Stay Free Foundation," the organization announced. "As a charity whose values put women's voices at the heart of what we do, we always prioritize supporting women affected by violence and abuse and empower them to live without violence and fear."
Trevi Women added: "We understand that for some women, today's media content could be triggering, and for those who may need support, please contact The Survivor Pathway."
Russell Brand denies rape,sexual assault allegations published by three UK news organizations
Russell Brand performs sold-out comedy show following sexual assault allegations
Despite the recent allegations against Brand, the comedian was met with cheers while performing a sold-out comedy show "Bipolarisation" at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre on Saturday. The venue seats 2,000 people.
"I love you. I love you. Thank you. There’s some things I cannot talk about and hopefully, you appreciate that I’m gonna give you everything I’ve got," he told the crowd, according to Deadline and The Wrap.
The show's age recommendation was for 16 years and up.
Russell Brand rantsabout 'propagandist' MSNBC, says it's not 'any different' from Fox News
Who is Russell Brand?
Brand rose to fame as a stand-up comic in Britain in the early 2000s, which led to starring roles on Channel 4 and later BBC Radio, where he capitalized on a reputation for outrageous behavior and risque banter. In recent years, he transformed himself into a political commentator and influencer posting YouTube videos on subjects such as personal freedom and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brand was suspended by the BBC in 2008 for making lewd prank calls to "Fawlty Towers" actor Andrew Sachs in which he boasted about having sex with Sachs' granddaughter. He quit his radio show in the wake of the incident, which drew thousands of complaints to the publicly funded broadcaster.
He later made the jump to Hollywood, appearing in films such as "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" in 2008 and the remake of "Arthur" in 2011.
Katy Perry, Russell Brand were married before divorcing in 2012
Brand married U.S. pop star Katy Perry in 2010 after meeting on the set of "Get Him to the Greek" in 2009. The two divorced in 2012, with Perry claiming in her June 2013 Vogue cover that Brand asked for a divorce over text.
"At first when I met him he wanted an equal, and I think a lot of times strong men do want an equal, but then they get that equal and they're like, I can’t handle the equalness. He didn't like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour," she said at the time. "So that was really hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting. 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."
Contributing: Jill Lawless, Danica Kirka, The Associated Press