Russell Brand’s final tour dates have been postponed following allegations of sexual assault made against the comedian. The Metropolitan Police received a report of an alleged sexual assault in Soho in 2003, which prompted the postponement of Brand’s remaining addiction charity fundraiser shows. A spokesperson for the Met confirmed that officers are in contact with a woman who reported the alleged assault. The accusations come after The Times and The Sunday Times published a joint investigation with Channel 4’s Dispatches, in which several women came forward with allegations against Brand, which are currently being investigated. Both the BBC and Channel 4 have pledged to look into the claims, with Channel 4 removing all programs linked to Brand from its website. Brand has denied the allegations, stating that all his relationships were consensual.
In the midst of these allegations, comments made by Katy Perry about her split from Brand have resurfaced. Perry revealed that Brand ended their relationship over text and described instances of him being controlling during their time together. Meanwhile, comedian Sean Lock’s comments about Brand have also garnered attention. In a clip from the comedy panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats, Lock expresses his disdain for Brand, particularly as a father, and expresses concern about his daughters bringing someone like Brand home.
Additional comments about Brand have also emerged, this time from actress Kristen Bell. Bell revealed in an interview that she had to “intimidate” Brand to make it clear that she was not interested in a sexual relationship with him during the shoot of the film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”. These comments have been brought up in light of the recent allegations made against Brand.
Downing Street has described the allegations against Brand as “serious and concerning” and has encouraged anyone with information or who believes they have been a victim of sexual assault to come forward and speak to the police.
Brand’s former manager, John Noel, has expressed surprise at the allegations and stated that he had never received any complaints about Brand during their working relationship.
As the investigation into the allegations continues, more calls have been made, and a government minister has urged survivors of sexual assault to come forward and report their experiences to the police.