Explained | Russell Brand: From sex addiction to sex abuse allegations

Russell Brand has found himself in the middle of a raging controversy after some serious criminal allegations were levelled against him over the weekend. Three British news organisations have published an investigation over the last weekend after four women accused him of sexual assault. While the actor and standup comedian has dismissed these claims and said that all of his relationships have been consensual, there is more than what meets the eye, or so it seems. 

How it all started

Russell Brand has a notorious past – unpredictable, promiscuous, and a bit all over the place, the actor has always been in the news for his personal failings like that of over-use of drugs or alcohol or not always being very articulate in public or sleeping with nine women at a time (yes, he’s admitted that it has happened at one point in his life). Known for his signature bohemian style of clothing, cocky style of humour, and sex addiction, Russell Brand comes with a lot of baggage and definitely not one that is pleasing to the eye. 

So when an investigation began on a series of alleged incidents dating from 2006 to 2013, netizens found themselves at odds with what to believe.

The investigation is a collaboration by The Sunday Times and The Times of London newspapers, and Channel 4 Dispatches, a television programme that broadcast a documentary about the allegations on September 16. They reported that the women had accused Russell Brand of sexual assault in a series of incidents between the years 2006 and 2013.

Russell Brand denies any wrongdoing

The actor and a former TV host has recently built a significant following on his YouTube channel, where he often talks about wellness and interviews prominent public figures.

He released a short video on social media on September 15 in which he said he had received notes from media organisations listing “a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.”

In the video, Russell can be heard saying, “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. He added that while that was a “time of promiscuity” in his life, the encounters during that time were “always consensual.”

While in the video in his defence he did not get into the details of the accusations, he did say that there were “witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives” that had been put forward to him by the news organisations. 

Tip of the iceberg?

People associated with the actor have already started cutting ties with him.

His literary agency, Tavistock Wood, announced this weekend that it had severed ties with him, saying in a statement that it believed it had been “horribly misled” by him when he denied an allegation in 2020.

The allegations were published as Russell Brand was on a short stand-up tour.

At a show in London last weekend, he opened the evening and sort of hinted at the allegations.

He said, “I’ve got a lot of things to talk to you about. There are obviously some things that I absolutely cannot talk about and I appreciate that you will understand.”  Actor Russell Brand dropped by talent agency after sexual assault allegations

Also, in the middle of the investigation, an old interview of his ex-wife Katy Perry has resurfaced that people think is evidence of his wrongdoings.

In the interview, Katy spoke about the time she fell in love with Russell Brand and got married to him in India after a whirlwind affair but then got a text from him asking for separation.

This was only after 14 months of being together. Katy looked back at their time with fondness and revealed that she found herself to blame for the breakup but eventually moved on when she remembered that she knew his “real truth”.  

She said, "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. I let go and I was like, ‘This isn’t because of me; this is beyond me.’ So I have moved on from that." Netizens think Katy Perry hinted at Russell Brand's 'real truth' in this 2013 interview

What we know of the investigation

In the investigation, one woman accused Russell Brand of raping her against a wall in his Los Angeles home in 2012.

According to the various reports, the woman had provided medical records confirming that she had been treated at a rape crisis centre.

Another woman accused him of forcing her to perform oral sex on him when she was 16, despite her pushing him away. These women have detailed their experiences in quite detail. This, in turn, has led to an investigation into the whole matter. 

The investigation also included complaints about Russell Brand’s workplace behaviour, including from unnamed production workers from Channel 4.

They said that he would ask staff members to approach female audience members so he could arrange to meet them after filming, according to the reports.

Channel 4 and BBC have said in statements that they are investigating allegations against Brand from the periods when he worked at their companies.

The Metropolitan Police in London released a statement in response to the article, saying that the department had been in touch with the journalists behind the story, and it encouraged any victims of sexual assault to report it to them.

Russell Brand has stayed away from trouble for some time now but it's not very long ago when he commented on MeToo when the entertainment industries in the world, especially Hollywood, saw its fair share of high-profile celebrities being found guilty of sexual abuse.

A known sex addict who battled with addictions to drugs and alcohol, Russell Brand built himself from nothing to a standup comedian who can take a joke or two on himself.

He went on to write a memoir on these things in 2005 and broke into popular culture with a role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall in 2008 and a remake of Arthur in 2011. 

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