British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been accused by an unnamed actress of sexually assaulting her during the filming of the film “Arthur” in 2010 in New York, according to court documents revealed Friday. The complaint filed before the New York State Supreme Court follows accusations by several women and investigations in September and October by media and police in Britain for rape, sexual assault, and psychological violence.
In the lawsuit, a woman identified as Jane Doe said she was hired to appear as a cast “extra” in a scene from Arthur filmed at Le Cirque restaurant in Manhattan in July 2010. She claims that on the day of the alleged attack, a drunk Brand exposed himself to her in full view of the crew while she was wearing a skimpy outfit. She says he then followed her into a bathroom where he forced her to perform sex acts on him while a member of the crew stood guard outside. The woman claims she suffered severe psychological injuries and economic losses as a result of the alleged incident. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the star. The woman, who is an actor, asked to be kept anonymous because she fears being blacklisted in the industry or harassed by Brand’s fans. She is also concerned that being associated with the case will damage her professional reputation, according to court documents.
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She alleges Brand’s behavior was “reckless and egregious” and that the company that hired her should have known that he had a history of disturbing conduct. She filed the lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which gives accusers a one-year window to sue abusers even after statutes of limitations have expired.
The lawsuit names Brand as a defendant, along with Warner Bros Pictures, which distributed the film, and other companies involved in the production of Arthur, which was a box office dud and received generally negative reviews. The unnamed plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages from all of the defendants.
The lawsuit also accuses the companies of negligence and aiding and abetting Brand by tolerating his misconduct on the set. The woman says she is now suffering from extreme embarrassment, shame, and fear and finds it difficult to trust others. She says she continues to lose work because of the alleged assault and that it has caused her to have “severe psychological injuries.” She is seeking damages for lost income as well as emotional distress. She also wants the court to order Brand to pay her a sum to compensate her for losing self-esteem and confidence.

