He denied the allegations in a video statement posted to X.
Friday, authorities in London announced that
Russell Brand had been charged with raping and sexually assaulting a woman. The
Metropolitan Police said in a statement that Brand has been charged in connection
with five offenses involving four women between 1999 and 2005. According to the
statement, they are charged with two counts of sexual assault, one count of
indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and one count of rape. Brand denied
the allegations, stating, "I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an
imbecile," in a video statement that was shared with X. However, I was
never a rapist. I've never done anything without my permission,"
Detectives in the U.K. said. They began investigating the case in September
2023 after receiving several allegations following reports by Channel 4 and The
Times of London.
The following are the allegations leveled against
Brand by the police: A woman who claims she was raped in the 1999 area of
Bournemouth, England A woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted in 2001 in
London's Westminster neighborhood in 2004 Westminster woman who claims she was
verbally raped and sexually assaulted A woman who alleged she was sexually
assaulted in the Westminster area between 2004 and 2005
The people accused were not named. According to a
statement released by Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan
Police, "The women who have made reports continue to receive support from
specially trained officers." Detectives are asking anyone who has been
affected by this case or anyone with information to come forward and speak with
the police. The Met's investigation remains open." Brand, who currently
resides in the United States, is scheduled to appear in court on May 2. According
to the Times of London, he and his family moved to Florida last year.
How we got here
In September 2023, the Times of London and
Channel 4 published a joint investigation, including a 90-minute documentary in
which four women alleged that Brand sexually assaulted or raped them between
2006 and 2013.
One woman said she was only 16 when she engaged
in an "emotionally and sexually abusive relationship" with Brand, who
was in his 30s. She described a time when he "forced his penis down her
throat" and made her choke. In 2012, Brand was accused of raping another
woman at his home in Los Angeles. Brand denied those allegations, claiming that
although he was "very, very promiscuous," he had "absolutely,
always consensual" relationships. The comedian's talent agency cut ties
with him after the documentary aired, his comedy tour was canceled, and London
police asked anyone who might have been Brand's victim to come forward. Brand
rose to fame beginning in the mid-2000s, first as a stand-up comedian and
television star in the U.K. before appearing in several Hollywood movies,
including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. Additionally, he
was briefly married to Katy Perry, a pop singer. Since then, he has developed a
significant following on YouTube and Rumble, where he hosts a daily live show.
Brand also has gained popularity in right-wing circles in the United States,
appearing at the Republican National Convention in support of Donald Trump in
2024.
