Sept. 16 (UPI) — Comedian and actor Russell Brand is facing multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault following an extensive investigation by a team of British media outlets.
The explosive and lengthy piece published by The Times, The Sunday Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches includes allegations of rape, as well as physical and mental abuse, from multiple women in both Britain and the United States between 2006 and 2013, during the height of Brand’s fame.
The 48-year-old celebrity has vehemently denied these claims, as seen in a video on his YouTube channel.
The Times investigators provided Brand’s representatives with a response window of eight days before publishing the story. However, the lawyers stated that they were unable to respond due to the extensive number of questions posed to them.
The investigative team detailed their multi-pronged approach, which involved collecting evidence such as phone, text, and email records, as well as conducting interviews with witnesses over several months.
Some of the allegations date back to Brand’s time at BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, as well as during his years in Los Angeles as a Hollywood actor.
During that period, a woman who previously had consensual sex with Brand claimed that she was raped at his Los Angeles home. She described an incident where Brand pinned her against a wall and assaulted her after she refused to join him and another woman in the bedroom. The woman sought treatment at a rape crisis center, and her account was confirmed through medical records and text messages exchanged with Brand.
Another woman, who was working with Brand in Los Angeles, stated that he assaulted her in his home, causing her to try to escape. Brand later fired her and threatened legal action if she disclosed the incident. Witnesses outside the home confirmed hearing screaming during the altercation.
Brand was previously married to pop star Katy Perry from 2010 to 2011. Perry, who is 10 years younger than Brand, spoke about the controlling nature of their relationship in a 2013 interview with Vogue.
The investigation also revealed that Brand had a brief relationship with a 16-year-old girl in Britain, which began when he met her while shopping. The girl’s mother stated that she believed Brand, who was 30 at the time, was grooming her daughter. The mother expressed her concerns but could not take further action as her daughter had reached the legal age of consent in the country. The alleged victim, now 30, described physical assault and non-consensual sexual acts, leading to the end of their relationship.
The story provided pseudonyms to protect the identities of all the accusers.
Brand’s literary agency issued a statement stating that they dropped him as a client after discovering they were misled by him.
The investigation also included interviews with numerous comedians, many of whom were aware of Brand’s darker side in the standup circuit. One comedian, Daniel Sloss, openly discussed Brand’s behavior to The Times.
Brand was represented by John Noel Management from 2002 to 2017, and the agency declined to answer questions due to legal reasons.
Channel 4 in Britain expressed its concern and commitment to understanding the nature of the allegations and the programs made for the channel between 2004 and 2007. The broadcaster conducted extensive document searches, finding no evidence of the alleged incidents being reported to them.
