Russell Brand has been accused of sexual assault by four women.
The allegations were made as part of a joint investigation between the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
The four women are alleging sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013.
At the time of the alleged assaults, Russell was a BBC Radio 2 presenter, Channel 4 presenter and Hollywood actor.
Other allegations made as part of the investigation include claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.
The investigation has already been published on the Sunday Times’ website, while the Dispatches special airs tonight on Channel 4 at 9pm.
In a video published earlier this week, Russell vehemently denied the allegations against him, and despite his “promiscuous” days, his relationships have always been “consensual”.
Ahead of its release, the comedian said in a video: “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.”
“Now, during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that. Then almost too transparent, and I’m being transparent about it now as well.”
“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.”
One woman has 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.
Alleged text messages between the comedian and the woman show that she told him she had been scared and felt taken advantage of, adding: “When a girl say[s] NO it means no,” with the comedian telling her he was “very sorry”.
A second woman 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.
A third woman has 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.
The published investigation on the Sunday Times’ website states that reporters have interviewed hundreds of source who knew or worked with Russell over the past few years.
Reporters are also said to have seen private emails and texts, submitted freedom of information requests, viewed medical and therapists’ notes, scrutinised the comedian’s books and interviews, and watched and listened to hundreds of hours of his shows on the BBC, Channel 4 and YouTube to corroborate allegations.
Channel 4’s Dispatches air tonight at 9pm – find out how to watch it here.
