Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse by four women.
The 48-year-old comic, who is expecting his third child with wife Laura Gallacher, is alleged to have committed the offences during a seven-year period from 2006 to 2013 at the peak of his fame.
Russell issued a furious denial against the allegations in a video posted to X, where he has 11.1 million followers, and his YouTube channel, on which he has a 6.6 million-strong fanbase, hours before the allegations broke.
The claims are the result of a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and The Times newspapers, as well as Channel 4 Dispatches – which is airing a special documentary on the claims at 9pm UK time on Saturday. (16.09.23)
The episode was originally listed without a title as a ‘Dispatches Special,’ with its description reading: “A 90-minute special Dispatchesinvestigation.”
But it has now been revealed that the episode is named ‘Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches’.
It is billed as: “Dispatches investigates Russell Brand’s treatment of women.”
Russell is alleged to have carried out the allegations against him while he
was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 and then a Hollywood actor, with his hit films including ‘Get Him to the Greek’ and ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’.
Along with the four women who have accused the comic of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse, The Times said others have made a range of accusations about the actor’s “controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour”.
Former heroin addict Russell – who has reinvented himself as a self-help guru since ditching the drink and drugs he was doing when he found fame – denied the accusations in a 2 minute, 45 second video in which he said all relationships he had during a period of being “very, very promiscuous” were all consensual.
One woman alleges Russell raped her against a wall in his Los Angeles home.
The Times said she was treated at a rape crisis centre on the same day “according to medical records”.
Text messages printed by the newspaper show in the hours after leaving his house, she told Russell that she had been scared by him and felt taken advantage of, adding: “When a girl say(s) NO it means no.”
Russell was shown to have replied he was “very sorry”.
A second woman alleges the actor assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still at school.
She said he referred to her as “the child” during an allegedly “emotionally abusive and controlling relationship” that reportedly lasted for about three months.
The woman alleges during one encounter, she tried to push Russell off her and had to punch him in the stomach to make him stop.
A third woman claims Russell sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about her allegation.
The fourth detailed how she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Russell and said he was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.
All said they felt ready to speak only after being approached by reporters.
The Times said about other women accusing him that he allegedly subjected them to “physical and emotional abuse” as well as “sexual harassment and bullying”.
It added in its investigation piece: “Most of the women, who do not know each other, have chosen to remain anonymous.”
