Russell Brand is facing rape and assault allegations that emerged over the weekend and are now putting a hold on his upcoming projects.
Brand’s sold-out comedy tour “Bipolarisation” was postponed at the U.K.’s Theatre Royal Windsor, plus in Plymouth and Wolverhampton over the next 10 days. Brand has additionally been dropped by his management company, and his book deal has been suspended.
A years-long joint investigation by The Times of London, The Sunday Times, and Channel 4 culminated in the recently aired documentary “Dispatches” during which four women accuse Brand of sexual assault and one case of rape. Brand allegedly also entered controlling consensual relationships, including with a 16-year-old girl whom he allegedly made read passages of “Lolita” to him. To note, 16 is the age of consent in the U.K.; Brand was 31 at the time of the allegation.
Assault accusations against Brand in “Dispatches” range from encounters across 2006 through 2013, overlapping with his marriage to Katy Perry. The BBC and Banijay, both of which employed Brand at the time the accusations allegedly took place, have launched an investigation into the claims. Police officers are also investigating a report about an assault that allegedly took place in 2003, with a statement issued: “Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support.”
Brand’s “rule-breaking” comedy tour “Bipolarisation” was set to fund an addiction charity; Brand previously opened up about his own struggles with drug and sex addiction. The Theatre Royal Windsor issued a statement following the allegations against Brand, saying, “We are postponing these few remaining addiction charity fundraiser shows, we don’t like doing it — but we know you’ll understand.”
Brand’s publishing deal with Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird was suspended. The company stated, “These are very serious allegations and in the light of them, Bluebird has taken the decision to pause all future publishing with Russell Brand.”
The “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” actor was dropped by management company Tavistock Wood Management, which is owned by Curtis Brown, which is also owned by United Talent Agency. The company stated they were “horribly misled” by Brand after he denied a 2020 assault allegation against him.
“Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him,” Tavistock Wood said (via Deadline). “TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.”
Brand recently shared a YouTube video titled “So, This Is Happening” where he refuted all the new claims against him.
“These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream media, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies,” Brand said. “And as I’ve 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’m being transparent about it now as well.”
