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Comedian Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotionally abusing four women during the height of his fame.
The alleged assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013, while he was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, and include an assault on a 16-year-old girl.
He vehemently denied the “very serious criminal allegations” ahead of The Sunday Times article and an expose which is being aired by Channel 4’s Dispatches programme.
The allegations include crew members on his Big Brother spin-off being made to feel they were working as a “pimp” by approaching young women on his behalf, and that he raped a woman at his Los Angeles home.
In a video posted to social media, the 48-year-old actor said he received “two extremely disturbing letters” listing “extremely egregious and aggressive attacks” relating to his “promiscuous” past.
While he did not specify details of the claims, he insisted his relationships were “absolutely always consensual”.
He also attacked a “serious and concerted agenda” to silence him.
Since ending his career as a presenter and stand-up comedian, Brand launched a podcast and runs a yoga and mental health-orientated YouTube channel named Awakening with Russell.
Russell Brand denies ‘very serious criminal allegations’
The comedian and actor said he “absolutely refutes” the allegations against him, which he did not reveal in detail but referred to as “very, very serious criminal allegations”.
Brand, 48, said the allegations “pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when… I was very, very promiscuous.”
Woman details being pushed against the wall by Brand
A woman has detailed meeting Brand in Hollywood in 2012, and kissing him backstage at one of his first shows in LA.
The two consensually engaged in sexual activity and began to message and phone call.
She recalled: “I was out late and he happened to call me and say ‘I had a really bad day please come over’. He said ‘please come, just come and cuddle with me’.
“He comes running out of the bedroom naked. He came at me with kisses and stuff, which was kind of fun and then it wasn’t that fun when I couldn’t move. I knew what he wanted from me at that point.
“He pushed me up against a wall and I was like ‘What are you doing’”
“I tried to get away from him.. I’m telling him to get off me and he won’t get off… I was very distraught. Trying to get out of the house with him being so much taller than me. I couldn’t move.”
She claims that Brand raped her against the wall and texted her with an apology. Documents show that the woman attended a rape crisis centre and decided agaainst reporting the alleged assault to the police.
Brand has denied all allegations.
Channel 4 Dispatches programme airs
Channel 4’s Dispatches programme investigating the allegations against Russell Brand has begun to air.
Sara Pascoe says several comedians tried ‘setting up union’ to stop industry’s ‘sexual predators’
Sara Pascoe has said that several comedians have tried “setting up a union” to stop “predators” in the industry.
MPs ‘closely monitoring’ allegations against Brand
The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee Chair Dame Caroline Dinenage said that MPs would be “closely monitoring” the response to the allegations against Russell Brand.
“The Sunday Times has reported some very serious and concerning allegations against Russell Brand. In yet another story of alleged power exploitation within the TV industry, his behaviour has been characterised as an ‘open secret’ by those in his orbit,” she said.
“The Culture, Media and Sport Committee are keen to understand the response of the police to the body of evidence collected. We will be closely monitoring the responses of the media, especially our Public Service Broadcasters, to these allegations, and looking at the questions that this, yet again, raises about the culture in the industry as a whole.”
Comedian seen arriving at London theatre
Russell Brand has been pictured arriving at a theatre in north-west London ahead of his stand-up show this evening.
The comedian and actor is due to perform to an audience of around 2,000 people at Wembley Park Theatre.
The show had been delayed by around 45 minutes due to his late arrival.
He is currently facing a number of serious allegations accusing him of rape and sexual assault during the height of his fame.
In a video posted earlier today, he denied the allegations and claimed his relationships had always been consensual.
Russell Brand is due to perform his stand-up comedy show this evening
Russell Brand seen arriving at a north-west London theatre
Russell Brand arrives at Wembley theatre for comedy show
Russell Brand has been seen arriving at a north-west London theatre ahead of a scheduled comedy show.
The 48-year-old could be seen arriving at the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre as he faces claims about his sexual behaviour at the height of his fame.
He has vehemently denied the allegations.
The venue has a capacity of 2,000 and staff could be heard telling audience members who arrived late that the show was due to start shortly before Brand’s arrival.
The sold-out performance had been due to begin at 7pm, but was delayed by more than 45 minutes.
Russell Brand set to play show in 2,000-seat London theatre despite sexual assault allegations
Russell Brand is set to perform a sold out stand-up comedy show for a 2,000 crowd in London on Saturday as he faces allegations of sexual assault.
The show is set to take place as a documentary is shown on Channel 4 detailing his alleged sexual abuse.
Brand faces allegations from four women, one as young as 16, covering the period from 2006 to 2013 – all of which he denies. Others have accused Brand of predatory and abusive behaviour, which Brand also denies.
Who is Laura Gallacher, Russell Brand’s wife of six years?
Russell Brand’s personal life was once the subject of regular media headlines, surrounded by scandal and controversy due to his very public antics.
In recent years, however, Brand, 44, appears to have made efforts to keep his home life out of the spotlight, following a tumultuous marriage and subsequent divorce from pop star Katy Perry.
Roisin O’Connor has more
Brand due to perform at Wembley tonight
Russell Brand is due to perform his new stand-up comedy show this evening at Wembley Park Theatre.
Hundreds of ticket holders are due to watch ‘Russell Brand: Bipolorisation’ whicn was scheduled to begin at 7pm.
The theatre has not made any announcements on its website or social media page following the allegations made against Brand.