Comedian Russell Brand Rubbishes Sexual Assault Allegations From Four Women; Says 'Relationships I Had Were Consensual'-WATCH
Brand shared a video on social media denying the allegations, which had been outlined in two "extremely disturbing letters" from a "mainstream media" television company and a newspaper
Comedian and social media influencer Russell Brand on Saturday was accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by three British news organizations. The reports were based on allegations from four women who have known him over a period of seven years when he was at the height of his fame.
Now, Brand has rubbished the allegations and said that all of his relationships have been consensual.
The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's "Dispatches" said that one woman alleged she had been raped, and the three others accused him of sexual assault. One of the women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive.
The women also accused 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.
Right before the stories were published, Brand shared a video on social media denying the allegations, which had been outlined in two "extremely disturbing letters" from a "mainstream media" television company and a newspaper.
However, he did not identify the news organisations by name.
"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."
The comedian also claimed that the reports were part of the coordinated attack designed to discredit him because of his views.
Previously, Brand had been criticized for expressing scepticism 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.
Brand shot to fame as a stand-up comedian in Britain in the early 2000s, which led to starring roles on Channel 4 and later BBC Radio, where he capitalised on a reputation for outrageous behaviour and risqué banter.
Soon after which, he made jumped into Hollywood, appearing in films such as ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ in 2008 and the remake of ‘Arthur’ in 2011. Brand was married to US pop star Katy Perry from 2010-2012.
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