Russell Brand took the stage on Saturday for the first time since being accused of rape, sexual assault, and abuse by multiple women. The 48-year-old comedian, actor, and social influencer performed at a sold-out stand-up show at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in northwest London as part of his Bipolarisation tour. Despite arriving late due to traffic, Brand expressed his gratitude to his fans for showing up and acknowledged that there were certain topics he couldn’t discuss, alluding to the allegations.
“I really appreciate your support, I love you, and I want to do a fantastic show for you,” he told the crowd of 2,000 people. “I’ve got a lot of things to talk to you about. There are obviously some things that I absolutely cannot talk about, and I appreciate that you will understand.”
Brand’s appearance came shortly after three British news organizations reported that he had been accused of rape, sexual assault, and abuse by four women who knew him for over seven years during the peak of his fame. The Sunday Times, The Times of London, and Channel 4’s “Dispatches” detailed the allegations, with one woman claiming she had been raped and three others accusing him of sexual assault. Additionally, one of the women stated that he had been physically and emotionally abusive.
Prior to these stories being published, Brand denied the allegations and emphasized that all of his relationships had been consensual. In a statement, he said, “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I refute. 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.”
In addition, Brand suggested that the reports were part of a coordinated attack aimed at discrediting him due to his controversial views, such as expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and interviewing contentious podcasters like Joe Rogan.
The BBC, Channel 4, and a production firm announced that they would be investigating the allegations that occurred during Brand’s tenure as a presenter on BBC Radio’s 6 Music and Radio 2, as well as his role as a host for shows on Channel 4.
While none of the alleged assaults are said to have taken place on BBC or Channel 4 premises, multiple claims about Brand’s workplace behavior have been made.
London’s Metropolitan Police stated that they were aware of the news reports but had not received direct reports regarding the allegations. They encouraged anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual assault, regardless of when it occurred, to contact the police.
Tavistock Wood, the talent agency representing Brand, announced that they had terminated all ties with him. In their statement, they said, “Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him.”
Brand first gained fame as a stand-up comedian in Britain and later transitioned to Hollywood, appearing in films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and the remake of “Arthur.” He was previously married to pop star Katy Perry from 2010-2012.
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