Though a report detailed widespread allegations of abuse, sexual assault, and workplace misconduct against actor and presenter Russell Brand Saturday, the longtime performer kept a commitment to perform his comedy show, called “Bipolarisation,” in Wembley, England that night. Meanwhile, police say they have yet to receive any reports against the star—but encourage any alleged victims to come forward.
The four-year investigation into allegations against Brand was a joint report from The Times, The Sunday Times, and TV newsmagazine Dispatches. A text version of the report was published in The Times Saturday, with its details widely aggregated by news organizations across the globe. Then, that evening, Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches aired on the U.K.’s Channel 4, a 90-minute documentary that Guardian critic Jack Seale described as “organising deeply harrowing testimony into a cogent narrative, the Dispatches film places the women’s claims into a wider context within the industry and our culture as a whole.”
Reportedly aware that the story was coming (per the Times, he was given an eight-day window to respond to the allegations), Brand posted a preemptive denial of the claims on Friday, saying that he was the victim of a coordinated attack by the mainstream media, and that there are witnesses with evidence to contradict the narratives within the reports. He didn’t provide any additional comment to The Times or other media outlets; Vanity Fair also reached out to his representatives for comment on Saturday morning and did not receive a response.
The audience at his show Saturday night was also denied comment, it appears. Deadline reports that Brand told the packed house at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre show that as he took the stage to applause and cheers, he responded, “I love you. I love you. Thank you. There’s some things I cannot talk about, and hopefully, you appreciate that I’m gonna give you everything I’ve got.”?
A female audience member at the show, which, by some reports, ended with a minutes-long standing ovation, carried a sign that read, “We stand by you Russell. Stay strong. Stay Free. We love you,” Deadline reports.?
Less unequivocal was Brand’s talent agency, Tavistock Wood. His profile was removed from the agency’s website following publication of the report, writes The Independent. Via statement, the agency confirmed that they had been told three years ago about allegations against Brand, but believed his denial at the time, Deadline reports.
“Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020,” the statement reads, “but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.”
The report has also prompted an investigation into Brand’s behavior on the set of U.K. shows like EFourum?and?Big Brother’s Big Mouth, production company Banijay U.K. told The Hollywood Reporter.?
“In light of the very serious allegations raised by Dispatches and The Times/Sunday Times investigation relating to the alleged serious misconduct of Russell Brand while presenting shows produced by Endemol in 2004 and 2005, Banijay U.K. has launched an urgent internal investigation and will cooperate with any requests for information from broadcast partners and external agencies,” the company said in a statement. “We also encourage anybody who feels that they were affected by Brand’s behavior while working on these productions to contact us in confidence.”
Banijay U.K. isn’t the only organization asking alleged victims to come forward, as law enforcement has now joined the fray. In a statement published by Deadline, London’s Metropolitan Police said that they “are aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault” but noted that they “have not received any reports in relation to this. If anyone believes they have been the victim of a sexual assault, no matter how long ago, we would encourage them to contact police.”
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