'BLIND EYE'
Russell Brand’s ‘sinister’ behaviour was an ‘open secret’ among BBC & Channel 4 execs as star’s accused of rape
RUSSELL BRAND’S alleged predatory behaviour towards women was an “open secret” among senior TV and radio executives, a probe claims.
BBC and Channel 4 bosses were said to have turned a blind eye while female comedians allegedly warned each other about him.
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Brand denies any wrongdoing.
The said it found that in his early years at Channel 4, researchers and runners were asked to approach female audience members so he could meet them after filming.
Two former crew members alleged they were made to feel like they were working as a “pimp” for him.
One runner, who was then 24, said Brand flashed her in a dressing room.
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Named as Rachel, she said: "Production companies enabled him to exist in these environments where he was able to take advantage of who he was."
And yesterday, the star was accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four women.
It comes as...
- Brand accused of rape and sex assaults by four women
- One claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand aged just 16
- Alleged victims claim they were attacked between 2006 and 2013
- Brand's wife deletes Instagram
- Star denies 'strong allegations' against him
- Alleged victim claims Brand threatened legal action if she spoke out
- Detailed look at claims aired on Channel 4 last night
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The attacks allegedly took place at the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013, including when one of the accusers was just 16 years old.
The girl, named as Alice, claimed that Brand groomed her while she was at school, even making her read Lolita, a Russian novel in which the main character kidnaps and sexually abuses a 12-year-old girl.
Alice alleged that during their three-month relationship, the then-31-year-old forced his penis down her throat until she choked and said he did it to "see her mascara run".
She even claimed that she had to punch him in the stomach to make him stop.
Moreover, Alice accused studio bosses of brushing off her complaints when she later worked at Channel 4.
According to her, Brand was discussed as a potential host for a show in late 2013 and that, when made aware of the allegations, TV chiefs suggested removing female members of staff instead of Brand himself.
She alleged: "The solution that was offered was that we would take the female staff off the crew.
"Women that have worked hard to get into this industry now can't work on particular shows because of the fear that they might be assaulted or harassed.
"I was in disbelief."
Meanwhile, another woman, Nadia, accused Brand of raping her without a condom against the wall of his LA apartment.
Texts allegedly exchanged between her and the comedian show him saying he was "very sorry" and would "make it up to her with love and kindness".
Brand has denied any wrongdoing, saying in a statement on that there “are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute”.
He added: “The relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual.”
Russell Brand's video transcript in full
Hello there, you awakening wonders.
Now this isn't the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption because in this story I am the news.
I have received two extremely disturbing letters - well a letter and an email.
One from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper, listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks as well as some pretty stupid stuff - like my community festival should be stopped, that I shouldn't be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel.
But amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque, attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. 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'm being transparent about it now as well.
And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play?
Particularly when we have seen coordinated media attacks before - like with Joe Rogan when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn't approve of and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language.
I’m aware that you guys have been saying in the comments for a while ‘Watch out Russell, they are coming for you, you are getting too close to the truth, Russell Brand did not kill himself’.
I know that a year ago there was a spate of articles ‘Russell Brand is a conspiracy theorist, Russell Brand’s right wing’.
I’m aware of news media making phone calls, sending letters to people I know for ages and ages.
It’s been clear to me or at least it feels to me like there's a serious and concerted agenda to control these kind of spaces and these kind of voices and I mean my voice along with your voice.
I don't mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous consensual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very very serious criminal allegations.
Also it’s worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct apparently in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack
Now I don't want to get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations, but I feel like I'm being attacked and plainly they are working very closely together
We are obviously going to look into this matter because it’s very, very serious. In the meantime I want you to stay close, stay awake but more important than any of that if you can, please, stay free.
And last night he went ahead with his scheduled comedy show at the Wembley Park Theatre, in which he said there were "things I cannot talk about."
Brand was greeted by cheers from the crowd, some of whom held up signs in support of him.
In the course of the show, he joked that an audience member who looked like him could be his body double and that it might "come in handy".
The show began as a charity that campaigns to end violence against women cut ties with Brand.
In a social media statement the Trevi Women & Children's Charity wrote: "Russell became aware of our charity in 2022 after hearing about some of the incredible mothers we have helped to become drug-free over the years.
"He wanted to support our cause and raise money through his Stay Free Foundation.
"We have ended our association with Russell Brand and the Stay Free Foundation."
The charity added that it was "deeply saddened and upset" by the allegations against him.
Meanwhile, his sister-in-law Kirsty Gallacher initially shared a link to his denial on social media, but has seemingly deleted it since.
He also received backing online from controversial influencer Andrew Tate, who labelled the accusations "crazy".
However, Brand's wife Laura Gallacher is yet to speak out on the allegations and appears to have deleted her personal Instagram page.
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After his time at Channel 4, Brand went on to work for the BBC. In the “Sachsgate” scandal in 2008, he and his Radio 2 co-host Jonathan Ross made prank calls to late Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs.
Channel 4 said it was “appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations” and would investigate.
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Claims made against Brand
- Woman 1: Claims Brand raped her in his Los Angeles Home
- Woman 2: Claims Brand forced her to perform oral sex when she was just 16
- Woman 3: Claims Brand sexually assault her in LA and threatened legal action if she spoke out.
- Woman 4: Claims Brand sexually assaulted her and was physically and emotionally abusive
- Jordan Martin: Jordan had a sixth-month relationship with Brand who she claims made her brush her teeth so hard her gums bled so she would taste "anonymous", and sexually assaulted her one night in a hotel room
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