Russell Brand accused by 6 women of sexual misconduct, assault following rape conviction
An investigation by The Times details further allegations against ex-comedian
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
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Six more women have come forward alleging sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour by Russell Brand, according to an investigation by the U.K.-based newspaper The Times, following his conviction for rape and sexual assault earlier this week.
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The 51-year-old former comedian and actor was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison on Monday after being found guilty of raping a woman and committing three sexual assaults between 2004 and 2009.
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comedian → sentence → 2004
In a joint investigation by The Times and Sunday Times published Friday, six more women described non-consensual encounters with Brand, including rape and sexual harassment.
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women → publish → rape
The publication also coincided with the release of a Netflix documentary on Brand called Open Secret, which examines how rumours of his unsettling behaviour persisted throughout his career.
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rumours → coincide → career
One woman told The Times that Brand had continued having sex with her after she noticed he wasn't wearing a condom and told him to stop.
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he → tell → him
She said the assault occurred during an on-off relationship she had with the actor in the late 2000s, and that Brand texted her to apologize afterwards.
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"I justified it in my head by saying to myself: at least he admitted it," she told The Times.
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she → justify → Times
Another woman, who said she met Brand while lining up at one of his gigs in 2007 when she was 19, said she told him during a sexual encounter she was in pain but that he continued anyway.
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he → say → pain
"And then it gets worse and it's really painful.
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And I say 'stop' and he doesn't stop," she said.
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She alleged that Brand told her afterwards: "Tonight was consensual.
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Nobody did anything they didn’t want to do.
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they → do → anything
"And that's the moment I just thought ...
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I know that you know what you've done is wrong," she said.
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she → know → what
Many of the women described meeting Brand at his comedy gigs or in situations where they felt he used his celebrity to manipulate them into hotel rooms, where his demeanour then changed.
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demeanour → describe → rooms
One woman told The Times she was shocked by how quickly he changed from the "affable, charming, sort of dandyish persona" he initially appeared to be to a "really crude and direct person" in his hotel room, where she alleges he abruptly groped her and shoved his hand down her pants.
"
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At the time, I never really thought about it in the way that I think about it now, as sexual assault.
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I just pushed it down," she said.
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she → push → it
CBC News has reached out to Brand's lawyer for comment.
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The Times reported that several women it interviewed reported they feared they wouldn't be believed if they came forward — echoing fears raised by the woman who testified against him at his trial.
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One of Brand's victims, whom he anally raped in 2009, said in a statement read by prosecutors in court that "his fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance, which made me feel powerless."
Allegations emerged against Brand in 2023
Brand first rose to prominence on the comedy circuit in the U.K. in the late 1990s.
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He became more well known overseas after appearing in movie comedies such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek and Arthur, and engaging in a highly publicized, if brief, marriage to singer Katy Perry.
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Allegations of sexual misconduct against Brand were first reported by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches in 2023.
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After these allegations became public, more women came forward to speak with police and media, and London's Metropolitan Police opened an investigation.
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Brand poses alongside his then-fiancée, singer Katy Perry, at the premiere of the film Get Him to the Greek, at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles in 2010.
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Brand denied all charges during the recent four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London, maintaining that any sexual encounters were consensual and describing himself as preoccupied with sex during the years in question.
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He was acquitted of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
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Brand is still under investigation for two other alleged rapes, one involving a then-16-year-old girl, according to police.
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Documentary dives into Brand's rise to fame
Friday also saw the release of the Netflix documentary Open Secret, which tracks Brand's career from his success on the stage as a controversial comedian known for bawdy jokes, to his acting roles and eventual shift into a far-right religious influencer — unfolding amid growing rumours that his unnerving persona might cloak real-life atrocities.
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Jordan Martin, an ex-girlfriend who appeared in the documentary, described Brand as controlling and abusive, alleging that he sexually assaulted her after an argument.
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The documentary by 72 Films includes archival footage from early comedy shows and appearances, including an on-stage Q&A in which he described himself as a "bloke from Essex," before adding, "I also raped someone once."
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