Four women have accused Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault, allegations revealed Saturday in a joint investigation by UK news outlets. The actor and comedian denied the accusations, saying his relationships have been "always consensual," the BBC reports. The women said they were assaulted between 2006 and 2013, a period of peak fame for Brand, when he was appearing in films and as a radio and TV host in the UK. For part of it, 2010 to 2012, Brand was married to singer Katy Perry. The investigative report was produced by the Sunday Times, Times, and Channel 4.
One of his accusers said Brand raped her against a wall in Los Angeles. She was treated at a rape crisis center that day, per the Hollywood Reporter. In an exchange of text messages, she later told him that "When a girl say[s] NO it means no," to which he reportedly replied that he was "very sorry." Another said Brand sexually assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 during a three-month relationship. A third woman said she was sexually assaulted while working with Brand in Los Angeles, after which he threatened legal action if she made the accusation public. A fourth woman accused Brand of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.
Brand posted a video denial Friday on social media before the investigation was released, saying he'd just been informed of the accusations. He said that the allegations involve a time when he was in movies and newspapers regularly and that he has acknowledged he was "very, very promiscuous." He added: "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'm being transparent about it now as well." Brand planned to perform a live show at London's Wembley Park Theatre on Saturday evening, per Variety, as Channel 4 was scheduled to air a documentary about the allegations against him. (More Russell Brand stories.)
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