The British comedian and actor Russell Brand is accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.
Four women claim that they were sexually assaulted by Brand between 2006 and 2013 (during the height of his fame). The allegations were made following a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s investigative programme Dispatches.
The investigation is in the weekend Sunday Times published and the Dispatches-documentary Russell Brand – In Plain Sight was broadcast on Channel 4.
BBC reports that one woman claims that Brand raped her in his home in Los Angeles. She was treated at a rape crisis center the same day. The Times said he had seen the medical records.
A second woman claims that Brand assaulted her when he was in his early 30s and she was only 16.
A third woman claims that Brand sexually assaulted her while she was working with him in Los Angeles, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone about the assault.
The fourth woman claims that she was also sexually assaulted by Brand and that he physically and emotionally abused her.
The Guardian reports that Brand has since denied the “serious criminal allegations” against him. He maintains that his relationships were “always with mutual consent”.
“These allegations relate 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 a lot in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.
“During that period of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolute, always consensual.”
Brand appeared in a pre-scheduled comedy gig in London on Saturday, hours after the allegations were published. Brand alluded to the accusations during the performance, but did not mention them directly.
He told the audience there were things he wanted to talk about but couldn’t.
