British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults, and emotional abuse in a bombshell investigation published by The Sunday Times and broadcast on Channel 4’s Dispatches program. Four women have made allegations against the 48-year-old, who was once married to singer Katy Perry, in an investigation into incidents spanning seven years.
One woman claims Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home, while another alleges he assaulted her in front of her family. She said she was left in a “psychologically traumatic state” and had to be treated at a psychiatric hospital. She told The Times she received a text from the star apologizing.
A second accuser said Brand verbally and physically abused her during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted three months. The woman, who is only called Alice, claimed he abused her when she was 31 and she was 16. She said she was made to tell people he was her uncle or godfather and that she was coached on what to say.
She said she was “made to feel like a piece of meat” and had been made to feel she was there to be sexually abused and groomed. She alleged he would force his penis down her throat and choke her, forcing her to punch him in the stomach to make him stop. She also alleged he would call her “the child” and tell her she was his niece.
An ex-girlfriend of Brand’s, who was in a relationship with him for a year from 2014, wrote about her experiences in a book published in 2020. She contacted his agent at the time to report her claims of sexual assault and emotional abuse but never heard back from her. She told The Sunday Times she was left in a “psychologically traumatized state” and had to be treated at a psychiatric hospital.
The head of parliament’s women and equalities committee called for those who worked with the star to examine what channels were available for them to raise concerns. Caroline Nokes said the allegations were “shocking and criminal.” She also questioned the roles of producers, directors, and presenters who had acted alongside the star. She said: “We need to look at who knew what and when.”
In a video posted online overnight, Brand denied the allegations. He claimed he had received “alarming letters” from a newspaper and TV company that contained a “litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.” He vowed to investigate the allegations and insisted that his relationships were always consensual. The video was uploaded just hours before he performed at a sold-out London gig as part of his Bipolarisation tour. He alluded to the allegations during the show but did not address them directly. The show was canceled afterwards.
