Previous comments made about Russell Brand by his ex-wife Katy Perry as well as other stars have been circulating amid the sexual assault allegations against the comedian.
The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches reported in a joint investigation on Saturday (September 16) that one woman has alleged that she was raped by Brand, while three others have accused him of sexual assault. One of the women also claimed that the rebranded wellness guru had been physically and emotionally abusive.
Brand has denied the allegations levelled against him, insisting that all of his relationships have been consensual.
In the wake of the allegations, previous comments made about the TV star have been shared widely online.
A Vogue interview from 2013 with Brand’s ex-wife Perry saw her describe his behaviour as “very controlling”, alluding to what she described as a “real truth” about the comedian that she wouldn’t disclose.
“I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending, but then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day,” Perry said.
Elsewhere, singer Dannii Minogue said in a 2006 interview with The Mirror that Brand is “a bit of a vile predator”.
She recalled an appearance on Brand’s MTV chat show 1 Leicester Square where she had been booked on the show to discuss the release of her album ‘The Hits & Beyond’.
“He is completely crazy and a bit of a vile predator. I certainly don’t think he has cured his sex addiction, that’s for sure. He wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Minogue said.
“He’s obviously very intelligent – but he wears more make-up than I do. Normally, I love guys with eyeliner on. It can be very sexy, but not on Russell. Absolutely no way, never, he’s just not my type.
“Throughout the whole interview, he kept making shocking remarks that I can’t even repeat. Just uttering the words would make me blush.”
Brand’s shtick as a household name in comedy in the ’00s saw him regularly make crude jokes of a sexual nature or behave inappropriately. In a 2012 interview with Liz Hayes for 60 Minutes, Brand grabbed the TV host and kissed her before making a joke about unhooking her bra.
Hayes addressed the moment in a 2021 retrospective on her career, saying: “When you interview Russell Brand you don’t really know who’s going to show up. Seasoned as I am as a journalist, I am prepared for all events and all kinds of people.
“And when Russell Brand decided he would like to kiss me, well, you size up the situation. You think, Mmm-hmm. Am I in danger? What could go wrong?’”
Despite the accusations at Brand being unproven, they have triggered significant backlash. He has been dropped by his management and Trevi Women, a women’s charity based in the UK. The Stay Free Foundation, which aims to help people dealing with addiction issues, has also announced the severance of their partnership.
Brand shared a video in advance of the publication of the claims to deny “very serious” but at the time unspecified “allegations” against him.
This is happening pic.twitter.com/N8zIKLbJN2
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) September 15, 2023
“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 my community festival should be stopped, that I shouldn’t be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel,” he claimed in the video.
Brand went on to suggest that the investigations were part of a “coordinated media attack”, “like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn’t approve of”.
The comedian, TV host and wellness guru has amassed a large following on social media in recent years (3.8 million accounts on Instagram, 2.2 million on TikTok and 6.6 million on YouTube).
Brand often interviews far-right figures and promotes conspiracy theories on issues such as the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the climate crisis.
He has seen support from high profile names including Twitter owner Elon Musk and right wing commentators and associates including Alex Jones and Andrew Tate.
In related news, a resurfaced clip from the Dispatches documentary showed that Brand once offered to take one of his assistants naked to Jimmy Savile, the latter of whom was revealed posthumously to have committed sexual offences against children and adults.
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