Russell Brand could be on the hook for criminal charges concerning historical sexual offences.
The 49-year-old comedian is at the center of a probe by specialist police officers who have now submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service. Following a collaborative investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches, The Times, and Sunday Times last year, Brand faces allegations of rape, assault, and emotional abuse. These accusations stem from incidents purportedly occurring during the peak of his fame from 2006 to 2013.
After a 13-month inquiry, the evidence has been handed over to the CPS to decide if Brand will be charged. He has faced questioning under caution three times in connection with these claims, including a police interview this January.
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Despite the allegations, Brand consistently asserts that he is innocent and insists all his sexual encounters were “absolutely always consensual.”
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of The Met stated: “Our investigation continues and a file has now been passed to the CPS. We have a team of dedicated officers providing specialist support to the women who have come forward. We are committed to investigating sexual offences, no matter how long ago they are alleged to have taken place.”
The Sunday Times disclosed that law enforcement has collaborated with officers from Operation Hydrant, an initiative launched in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. It’s currently unclear when authorities handed over their evidence file to the CPS.
Now, a team must determine if there’s sufficient proof to press charges against the entertainer and consider whether a trial serves public interest. In an update from The Met spokesperson relayed to the Mirror, they revealed: “Following an investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches in 2023, the Met received a number of reports of sexual offences from women in London and elsewhere in the country. A file of evidence has now been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for their consideration. As part of the investigation, a man in his forties has been interviewed by officers under caution on three separate occasions.”
These interviews concern several past sexual offences alleged to have occurred both inside and outside London, and support continues for the CPS amid their inquiry.
Addressing the accusations, Brand firmly stated: “I deny any allegations, that have been advanced. I reject the allegations in the strongest possible terms.”
He also conveyed to Carlson Tucker how he viewed the crimes he stands accused of as “appalling” and condemned them as a “deliberate profound attempt to shut down any dissent in an astonishingly aggressive way.”
Brand has opened up about how his “very, very promiscuous” behavior had put him in jeopardy. Disturbing claims of controlling, abusive, and predatory conduct emerged against him in September 2023.
In a candid video on his YouTube channel, Brand addressed the allegations: “I’ve received two extremely disturbing letters or 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 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, often very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.”
He continued by fiercely denying any criminal wrongdoing: “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 narrative that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently, in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack.”
He remarked on the severity of the situation: “Now, I don’t wanna get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations, but I feel like I’m being attacked and plainly they’re working very closely together. We are obviously going to look into this matter ’cause 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.”