Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault; Denies allegations – The Hollywood Reporter

Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse for seven years at the height of his fame.

Four women said so Brand sexually abused her a joint investigation between 2006 and 2013, when he was a BBC presenter and appeared in Hollywood films The Sunday Times, The Times And Channel 4 shows found. Other allegations include Brand’s controlling, abusive and predatory behavior.

The first woman told news outlets that Brand raped her against a wall in Los Angeles, where she was being treated at a rape crisis center that same day. The investigation also found text messages between the woman and Brand. She messaged him and said, “When a girl says[s] NO, it means no.” The actor reportedly responded that he was “very sorry.”

Another woman claimed 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, which lasted about three months. She claimed he “pushed his penis down her throat” and made her gag, only holding back when she punched him in the stomach.

A third woman told media that Brand sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in LA and said he threatened legal action if she went public with the incident. The fourth woman also alleged that the actor sexually assaulted her and physically and emotionally abused her.

The actor and comedian preemptively denied the allegations in a video posted on his social media platforms on Friday. He said he received an email and letter from a mainstream television station and newspaper detailing several “outrageous and aggressive” acts that he “absolutely rejects.”[s].”

“These allegations relate 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 Twitter and Instagram. “During this period of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I always made it transparent back then – almost too transparent – ​​and I do the same now.”

He continued, saying he believes transparency is being used to highlight something criminal that he did not do, and he believes there may be some other intent at play. He referred to the “coordinated media attacks” that Joe Rogan faced when he took Ivermectin for COVID-19, noting that this happened to the podcast host because the mainstream media did not endorse the drug.

“I’m aware that you’ve been saying in the comments for some time, ‘Watch out, Russell, they’re after you.’ You’re getting too close to the truth. Russell Brand didn’t kill himself.’ I know a year ago there was a flood of articles: ‘Russell Brand is a conspiracy theorist,’ ‘Russell Brand is a right-wing extremist,'” the comedian said. “It was clear to me, or at least it seems to me, that there is a serious and concerted agenda to control these types of spaces and these types of voices, and I mean my voice along with your voice.”

Brand said he doesn’t mind that his past “promiscuous, consensual behavior” has been used in media reports, but he “seriously” denies the criminal allegations. He also mentioned that there are people who have evidence contradicting the allegations, without providing further details.

“I feel like I’m being attacked and obviously they work very closely together,” he concluded in his pre-emptive denial of the allegations. “We will of course investigate this matter because it is very, very serious. In the meantime, I want you to stay close to me, stay awake, but more importantly, if you can, please stay free.”