Channel 4’s Dispatches special, titled Russell Brand: In Plain Sight, has detailed serious allegations against him.
Four women have accused the comedian of sexual assault for the years between 2006 and 2013.
The allegations were made as part of a joint investigation between the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
At the time of the alleged assaults, Russell was a BBC Radio 2 presenter, Channel 4 presenter, acting in Hollywood films, and presenting his own late night talk show Brand X.
Other allegations made as part of the investigation include claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.
One woman, named Nadia, alleged that Russell raped her against a wall in his LA home. According to medical records, she was treated at a rape crisis centre that same day where she was given antibiotics and emergency contraception.
Nadia sought therapy after the ordeal, and detailed being “scared” to go to the police for fear of the toll it would take on her and her family because of his fame.
Russell’s former personal assistant Helen Berger appeared in the documentary.
She branded the comedian a “narcissist” and alleged his “favourite subject was him”.
Helen claimed he was “only ever in his underwear”, which she now deems inappropriate, and revealed she “wouldn’t accept” from a prospective employer.
In the 2010s, Russell was “awarded” ‘Shagger of the Year’ by the UK press three years in a row.
Helen revealed she was “never worried” that Russell’s sex life may have lacked consent, as she saw women “willingly walk into his bedroom” because of his fame and status.
A second woman, named Alice, claimed Russell assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still in school.
She alleged he referred to her as “the child” during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for about three months.
Alice revealed Russell made her feel “giddy” and “special”, and alleged her “engaged in the behaviours of a groomer” often trying to “drive a wedge between her and her parents”.
A third woman claimed Russell sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in LA, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about her allegation.
The fourth woman claimed she was also sexually assaulted by the comedian, and alleged he has been physically and emotionally abusive towards her.
Viewers branded the Dispatches special “shocking” on social media, with one writing: “Big up the brave women that came forward to tell their stories and shame of the weirdos who are making excuses for him.”
In a video published on Friday, Russell pre-emptively denied the allegations against him, and despite his “promiscuous” days, his relationships have always been “consensual”.
Big up the brave women that came forward to tell their stories and shame of the weirdos who are making excuses for him.#Dispatches
— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) September 16, 2023
#dispatches this is about power and abuse . pic.twitter.com/7GrVdEWTTa
— Caitlin Williams (@CaketinCaitlin) September 16, 2023
To the women in this and the women feeling triggered right now, my heart is with you 💕 #Dispatches
— Savannah 🌿 (@SavannahWrenn) September 16, 2023
The tweets “defending” Russell Brand are so truly beyond belief. There is no other explanation: they must from deeply lonely people, desperate for a semblance of emotional human interaction – in any form. Seek therapy. Get a hobby. Most importantly, BELIEVE WOMEN. #dispatches
— jodie (@__jodie___) September 16, 2023
“Now, this isn’t the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption because in this story, I am the news.”
“I’ve received two extremely disturbing letters or a letter and an email,” Russell explained. “One from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid stuff like community festival should be stopped, that I shouldn’t be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel.”
“But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks, often very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. These allegations pertain 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’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.”
“And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question, is there another agenda at play? Particularly when we’ve seen coordinated media attacks before, like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn’t approve of, and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language.”
Russell continued: “I’m aware that you guys have been saying in the comments for a while, watch out, Russell. They’re coming from you. You’re getting too close to the truth.”
“Russell Brand did not kill himself. I know that a year ago there was a spate of articles. Russell Brand’s a conspiracy theorist, Russell Brand’s right wing. I’m aware of news media making phone calls, sending letters to people I know for ages and ages.”
“It’s being clear to me, or at least it feels to me like there’s a serious and concerted agenda to control these kind of spaces and these kind of voices. And I mean, my voice along with your voice.”
“I don’t mind them using my books and my standout to talk about my promiscuous consensual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations.”
“Also, it’s worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narrative that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently, in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack,” Russell continued.
“Now, I don’t wanna get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations, but I feel like I’m being attacked and plainly they’re working very closely together.”
“We are obviously going to look into this matter ’cause it’s very, very serious. In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more important than any of that, if you can, please stay free.”
