More inquiries after Russell Brand rape, sexual assault claims
Britain’s BBC, Channel 4 and a production company have launched separate internal investigations into allegations of serious misconduct against actor and comedian Russell Brand, in the wake of rape and sexual assault allegations accusations made on the weekend.
Brand, 48, has been accused of pursuing audience members for sex while presenting Big Brother spin-off shows EFourum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth on Channel 4, while other allegations relate to when he was a radio presenter for the BBC.
The claims were made in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches, in which four women made separate allegations of sexual assault.
They alleged sexual assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 as well as starring in Hollywood films.
The allegations made against Brand include one woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted during a three-month relationship with him when she was 16 and still at school.
The woman described his behaviour towards her as “grooming” as he would allegedly provide her with scripts on how to deceive her parents into allowing her to visit him.
In 2020, the woman contacted Brand’s literary agent at the time, who was also the co-founder of talent agency Tavistock Wood.
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“Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him,” a statement given to the PA news agency by Tavistock Wood said.
“TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.”
Another woman alleged Brand raped her at his Los Angeles home, while a third claimed that Brand sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and threatened to take legal action if she told anyone of the allegation.
A fourth woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by Brand and alleged he was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.
A researcher claimed at the weekend that concerns about Brand’s behaviour were reported to production managers at Endemol, the company commissioned by Channel 4 to produce the programs in 2004 and 2005, but were dismissed.
Following the publication of allegations against Brand, questions were being asked about whether TV chiefs were aware of any concerns about his behaviour while working on their programs.
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Meanwhile The Times said it has been contacted by “several women” since publication with claims about Brand, but said their allegations have not yet been investigated and “will now be rigorously checked”.
Channel 4 said in a statement: “We have asked the production company who produced the programs for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.
“Channel 4 is also conducting its own internal investigation, and we would encourage anyone who is aware of such behaviour to contact us directly.”
Banijay UK, which bought Endemol in 2020, said in a statement: “In light of the very serious allegations raised by Dispatches and The Times/Sunday Times investigation relating to the alleged serious misconduct of Russell Brand while presenting shows produced by Endemol in 2004 and 2005, Banijay UK has launched an urgent internal investigation and will co-operate with any requests for information from broadcast partners and external agencies.
“We also encourage anybody who feels that they were affected by Brand’s behaviour while working on these productions to contact us in confidence.”
The BBC also said it was “urgently looking into the issues raised” while Brand worked on BBC radio programs between 2006 and 2008, having first appeared on BBC 6 Music in April 2006 before he was moved to Radio 2 in November of the same year.
The Metropolitan Police said it would speak to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure “any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police”.
Brand denied the allegations and in a video posted online said all of his relationships had been “consensual”, before accusing the media of a “co-ordinated attack”.
As the Despatches film aired, Brand appeared as scheduled at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in London to perform a sold-out comedy gig.
While not directly addressing the allegations, audience members told the PA news agency Brand said he hoped they could “appreciate” there were things he could not talk about during the set.
-with AAP
