Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
Past comments about Russell Brand made by high-profile women, including Dannii Minogue and Katy Perry, have been widely recirculating following recent allegations of sexual assault and rape levelled against the UK comedian.
The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4’s Dispatches reported on Saturday that one woman alleged she had been raped by Brand, while three others accused him of sexual assault. One of the women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive.
Russell Brand leaves the Troubadour Theatre at Wembley Park after his show.Credit: AP
Brand denied the allegations and said that all of his relationships have been consensual. In the aftermath of the allegations being publicised, previous interviews and comments from celebrities who had associated with Brand have raised further questions about his reputation.
In a 2006 interview with the UK publication The Mirror, Australian singer Dannii Minogue recalled an appearance with the comedian on his MTV chatshow, 1 Leicester Square.
Dannii Minogue at the AFI awards in 2006, the same year she met Russell Brand during an interview to promote her new album.
Minogue 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,” she 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.”
Meanwhile, in a resurfaced Vogue interview from 2013, Brand’s ex-wife Katy Perry described his behaviour as “very controlling”, alluding to what she described as a “real truth” about Brand that she would not disclose.
Russell Brand and Katy Perry were married for 14 months before divorcing in 2011.
“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,” said Perry.
Before rebranding as an online wellness influencer, Brand was known as a sexually charged comedian famous for pushing boundaries. In a 2012 interview with Liz Hayes for 60 Minutes, Brand grabbed Hayes 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?’”
Brand’s reputation was a point of discussion in Channel 4’s Dispatches documentary, with producers confirming that comedians who worked in the industry at the same time as Brand were contacted, but only one was willing to speak on camera.
Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss told Dispatches that women would warn each other via WhatsApp groups about Russell Brand, and his behaviour was openly discussed in the industry. He said: “For many, many years, women have been warning each other about Russell”.
“There were many stories, it wasn’t just coming from one person or one group of people, it was different incidents and of varying degrees of severity.”
“I’m stood in artist bars, with agents, promoters, channel commissioners, and I’m hearing these allegations, and these rumours, about Russell in the same room as these people are in.”
Meanwhile, Australian comedian Adam Hills, who hosts the UK chat show The Last Leg (which Brand has appeared on several times), took to social media to pledge his support for those who have come forward.
“I’ve nothing but respect for the people who told that story both on TV and in the press. It took bravery and diligence. They deserve to be heard,” wrote Hills.
The accusations against Brand, despite being unproven, have triggered significant backlash. He has been dumped by his management and Trevi Women, a women’s charity based in the UK, also announced that it has ended its relationship with the comedian and his organisation, the Stay Free Foundation, which aims to help people dealing with addiction issues.
However, the comedian has found support in some corners, with X (formerly Twitter) founder Elon Musk taking to the platform to declare, “I support Russell Brand. That man is not evil.”
Also joining the chorus of support for Brand is right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones who defended Russell Brand from rape and sexual assault allegations — by saying the comedian is being targeted because he’s “come out against globalists”.
Jones claimed to have been friends with Brand for six years in a video circulated on social media on Sunday.
“I’ve never seen women throw themselves at anyone like with him,” Jones said, comparing women throwing their “panties” at Elvis. “It’s like that,” he said, adding that it was “literally women jumping at us”.
Brand has amassed a large following on social media – 3.8 million accounts on Instagram, 2.2 million on TikTok and 6.6 million on YouTube. His content often features interviews with far-right influencers and promotes conspiracy theories on issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis.
Videos he has posted in recent weeks include titles such as “What REALLY started the Hawaii fire?“, “State of fear! Covid propaganda exposed!” and “Zelensky’s MASSIVE Ukraine censorship EXPOSED.”
In a video posted to his own social media channels, the comedian and media personality has denied all the “very serious allegations” aimed at him, while also questioning whether his attacks on mainstream media were to blame.
“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”.
Brand performed to a 2,000-strong crowd on Saturday night in Wembley Park Theatre – but did not directly address the allegations made as part of an investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches programme.
Find more of the author’s work here. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Instagram at @thomasalexandermitchell and on Twitter @_thmitchell.
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.
Most Viewed in Culture
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article
