UK comedian Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assault: How BBC is embroiled in the controversy

He’s known to be Britain’s funny man, but the latest news about him is no laughing matter. Comedian-actor Russell Brand, known to be the former husband of pop star Katy Perry and known for his role in the US hit movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse. The allegations were based on a joint investigation done by the Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches. As the accusations came to light, with four women alleging sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, Brand has denied the “serious criminal allegations” against him in a video. Refuting the claims, he said: “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.” But, it seems that his previous employers, including the BBC, as well as his agents seek to distance themselves from the celebrity, with the British Broadcasting Corporation launching an investigation into the allegations. His literary agency, Tavistock Wood, also announced over the weekend it had cut ties with him, saying in a statement that it believed it had been “horribly misled” by him. We take a closer look at the allegations against the star and how he has responded. (Please note that the article contains details of a graphic nature that readers may find distressing) Rape, assault and grooming charges One of the women who have accused Brand said that she was 16 at the time of the incident and in school while he was 31. She told The Times that he would send a car to her school to collect her so they could have sex at his home. The woman alleges that Brand became increasingly controlling during the three-month relationship and encouraged her to lie to family and friends about the relationship, even instructing her to save his number under the name “Carly” to avoid suspicion. She says Brand’s management also told him to keep their relationship private. In her allegations, outlined by The Times, she said: “Russell engaged in the behaviours of a groomer, looking back, but I didn’t even know what that was then, or what that looked like,” she said. She also revealed that the comedian found it arousing that she was a virgin, called her “the child” and “my little dolly” and asked her to read the 1955 novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov about a professor sexually obsessed with pre-pubescent girls. [caption id=“attachment_13136912” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Russell Brand, a household name in the UK, rose to prominence after his marriage to pop singer Katy Perry. They divorced in 2011 after a year of marriage. He has opened up about his past controversies, including addictions. File image/Reuters[/caption] The second woman claims that Brand raped her at his house in Los Angeles in 2012. The woman said that on one occasion – 1 July 2012 – he pleaded with her to visit his house. When she reached there, he asked her to join him and another for a sexual encounter. When she refused, he pushed her against the wall and raped her without using a condom. She later messaged Brand saying, “You completely broke me down.” The woman has also shared her medical records from a rape treatment centre she went to after the incident, as well as therapy records. The third complainant has claimed that Brand assaulted her in Los Angeles, with the star then threatening legal action if she took her case further. Outlining the incident, she said that she became trapped with Brand in a bedroom in his house and he started chasing her around the room. According to the allegations published by The Sunday Times, she said that “he grabbed me and got me on the bed” and tried to forcibly remove her clothes. She said: “I was screaming, and I was like, ‘What are you doing, stop, please, you’re my friend, I love you, please don’t do this, I don’t want to do this’. I think he had his hands down my trousers but I was fighting so hard and I was screaming so hard, hoping that I could get through somehow.” When the assault ended, he got super angry with her and then threatened her. [caption id=“attachment_13136932” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] British comedian and actor Russell Brand walks outside the Wembley Park Theatre, in northwest London. Brand has denied all allegations, calling them “extremely egregious and aggressive attacks”. Reuters[/caption] A fourth woman also alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Brand in the UK and him being physically and emotionally abusive towards her. Apart from the four women’s allegations, there are other accusations made of Brand’s allegedly controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. Channel 4’s Dispatches reported that Brand during his time as a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music would undress in the studio. The Sunday Times quoting sources also reported that a complaint had been made to BBC management about the “alarming display of aggression and disrespect” from Brand. This included the comedian throwing things across the studio and urinating in a bottle in front of guests, which included a minor. The newspaper also reported that TV researchers and runners working on Channel 4 shows alleged that Brand would get staff to approach young female audience members so he could meet them after filming, some of whom were later upset by how they felt they had been treated by him. Brand responds The 48-year-old star, who has battled with addictions in the past, has refuted all the claims, calling them “extremely egregious and aggressive attacks”.

In a video that he has posted since the allegations came to light, he said: “These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies and as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous. “Now during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well. “To see that transparency metastasised into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question – is there another agenda at play?” Following his post, Elon Musk, owner of X and Tesla CEO, extended his support to Brand. The billionaire wrote: “Of course. They don’t like the competition,” in reference to the comedian suggesting that he was being targeted. He also received support from former Fox News host, Tucker Carlson , as well as Tristan Tate, the brother of controversial influencer Andrew Tate , who said he “did not believe one word of it”. Andrew Tate, meanwhile, re-shared a post on X which claimed Brand was getting the “Andrew Tate treatment”. The influencer is awaiting trial in Romania, charged with human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group. The Metropolitan police said it had not received any reports in connection to the allegations but had spoken to The Sunday Times and would be making further approaches to the paper and to Channel 4 “to ensure that any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police”. [caption id=“attachment_13136962” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] While his literary agency has distanced themselves from Brand, the BBC and Channel 4 have launched inquiries against him. This is because both of them had hired the comedian during the years in which the alleged attacks took place. File image/Reuters[/caption] Inquiries set up The BBC, which was the employer of Brand during the years, has stated that it would “urgently look into the issues raised” by the allegations. On Saturday, the corporation also said: “We will always listen to people if they come forward with any concerns, on any issue related to any individual working at the BBC, past or present.” Channel 4, who had also employed Brand in the past, also announced its own internal investigation and encouraged “anyone who is aware of such behaviour to contact us directly”. A BBC report quoted the channel as saying that it was “appalled” to learn of the “deeply troubling allegations, including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007”. Channel 4 also confirmed to The Telegraph that it had “taken down all content featuring Russell Brand” while it looked into the matter. “This includes episodes of the Great British Bake Off that he appeared on.” Others are also distancing themselves from the star. The Trevi Women & Children’s Charity said it had cut ties with the comedian and had been “deeply saddened and upset” following the allegations. Amnesty International has also urged women to come forward and voice their concerns about Brand’s behaviour during his participation in two of their events in 2006 and 2012. In a statement, Amnesty International said it found the allegations “shocking and distressing” and that it did not have a relationship with the comedian. With inputs from agencies