Russell Brand posted a video denying the sexual assault allegations against him before the allegations were published. In a joint investigation published by British outlets The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4's Dispatches, four women say comedian and actor Russell Brand sexually assaulted them. The alleged assaults took place between 2006 and 2013. One of the women says she was 16 years old at the time and that Brand was "grooming" her.
In the video he posted to his Instagram, Brand admits that he was "very, very promiscuous" at the time of the alleged assaults, but insists that his relationships were "always consensual."
"Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," he said in the video. He captioned the video with, "This is happening."
In addition to being accused of sexual assault, Brand was accused of predatory behavior and "grooming" a 16-year-old. One of the women alleges that she was 16 at the time that she had a three-month relationship with Brand. He was 30 at the time and was working for BBC. According to the Daily Beast, the woman alleges that when she was 16, Brand used a BBC car service to pick her up from school and take her to his home.
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The woman claims that she was approached by Brand while shopping, and that he looked at a dress she purchased and said, "You’re going to wear this on our date this week.” When she later told Brand how old she was (16), he allegedly did not care and instructed her to lie to her parents and her friends about their relationship. Although the legal age of consent is 16 in the UK, the woman claims Brand assaulted her during their relationship.
Another woman, Jordan Martin, accused Brand of physical and emotional abuse when she had a relationship with him for half a year in 2007. These allegations were already made by the woman in 2014. Martin says that he would have sex with other people while they were together, but would become angry at any mention of her ex and frequently accused her of meeting up with him. "I was vulnerable, at a low point in my life, and I was living with Russell, an extremely powerful character who would verbally knock me down and then cuddle me ten seconds later," Martin said, reported the Daily Mail.
Martin was not interviewed by the reporters working on the recently published investigation, but she did confirm that she stands by her account of the relationship. According to The Guardian, Martin alleges that Brand got mad at Martin because he found out that she spoke to her ex. He then proceeded to pull the battery out of her phone and touch her in a way that she was not ready for.
In 2014, Brand told Vanity Fair that accusing him of misogyny would probably be fair, but that it was a thing of his past. "As a person who’s trying to live a decent, spiritual life, misogyny is not part of my current palette of behaviors … In a way, redemption is a great part of my narrative," he said at the time.
In recent years, Brand has rebranded himself as a wellness influencer, which the Associated Press reported was a factor that pushed some of the women to speak up now, years after the alleged assaults occurred. The outlet also reported that some of the women only felt comfortable sharing their stories after reporters asked them about it.
The two other alleged incidents both happened in Los Angeles, in 2012 and 2013. One woman alleges that Brand wanted her to take part in a sexual activity with a "friend" of his but she didn't want to. He allegedly raped her against a wall then locked the door to stop her from leaving. The report states that she was treated at a rape treatment center but she didn't report the assault because she thought people wouldn't believe her.
The other woman says she worked with Brand and she didn't report the alleged assault because she was worried that it would destroy her career. She alleges that Brand tried to take her clothes off and held her down while she screamed. "I was screaming: 'What are you doing, stop, please, you’re my friend,'" she alleges. On September 18, the Times reported that after the publication of initial allegations, more women with similar allegations have reached out to the publication.
In addition to becoming a "wellness influencer" in recent years, Brand has also gained a reputation for using his platform to share conspiracy theories. Supporters of Brand believe that he is being attacked by the "mainstream media" due to his willingness to go against them. They likely got this idea from Brand himself. In his video, Brand suggested that the publications that released the allegations might have an "agenda."
Brand insists that he has been open about his past. "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?” he said in his Instagram video.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault Hotline provides confidential 24/7 support. Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) or chat online at RAINN.
