Comedian Daniel Sloss has claimed people were “warned” about Russell Brand’s alleged behaviour in WhatsApp groups.
A collaborative investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches saw four women accuse Russell of sexual assault, rape, and controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.
Before the Dispatches documentary aired on Friday night, the 48-year-old vehemently denied the allegations, claiming that despite his “promiscuous” days his relationships have always been “consensual”.
Scottish comedian Daniel appeared in the documentary, claiming he first heard rumours about Russell’s alleged behaviour circulating within the industry over a decade ago.
He claimed there were “many stories with varying degrees of severity” that came from a number of different people in the comedy circuit.
Daniel also alleged female comedians spoke about Russell in WhatsApp groups, adding: “I know for many many years women have been warning each other about Russell.”
He said of Russell: “He was a big name, big big household name. If you were a comedian and got to gig with him you’d be gigging with a celebrity.”
“I’m stood in bars with agents, promoters, channel commissioners and I’m hearing these allegations and rumours with Russell in the same room, and later on he would be on a movie, on a television show, he would be hosting something. He was still being employed.”
“Questions that should have been asked about Russell before he was employed for certain things, I do not believe they were asked.”
Four women have accused Russell, who has since been dropped by his talent agency, of sexual assault for the years between 2006 and 2013.
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.
In the Channel 4 documentary Dispatches, which aired on Saturday night, a 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.
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.
Russell’s former personal assistant Helen Berger appeared in the documentary, and she branded him a “narcissist” whose “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.
She 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.
In a video shared via social media on Friday, Russell pre-emptively denied the allegations against him, claiming that despite his “promiscuous” days his relationships have always been “consensual”.
The 48-year-old said: “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. 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.”
“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.”
The Women’s Aid 24hr National Freephone Helpline is 1800 341 900. For help and support you can also log onto www.womensaid.ie.
