Despite Russell Brand making a tour stop at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park on Saturday to a standing ovation, promoters have postponed his upcoming tour dates due to the numerous sexual assault allegations against the comedian. Further indicating Brand’s departure from public life for the present moment, he also skipped his Rumble show Monday, days after he preemptively defended himself on the channel.
Earlier today, London’s Metropolitan Police announced they were investigating another accusation, this time from 2003, though they did not mention Brand by name. “We are aware of reporting by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches about allegations of sexual offenses,” a Met spokesperson told CNN. “On Sunday, 17 September, the Met received a report of a sexual assault which was alleged to have taken place in Soho in central London in 2003. Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support.”
A joint investigation by England’s The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 reported that four women accused Brand of sexual assault in incidents occurring between 2006 and 2013. One of the women was 16 at the time of the alleged assault, and Brand was 31. Brand has denied these allegations.
In addition to the postponed tour dates, Brand’s publisher, Bluebird, announced it would “pause all future publishing with Russell Brand.” Bluebird previously published the comedian’s Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions and Mentors: How To Help And Be Helped and planned on releasing his latest, Recovery: The Workbook, this December. Brand’s literary talent agency, Tavistock Wood, also cut ties. In The Times report, one of Brand’s accusers made allegations to the agency in 2020 and received a “very aggressive” response from Brand’s lawyers for her troubles. “Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him,” Tavistock Wood said in a statement. “TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.”
