Russell Brand currently finds himself on the receiving end of several serious allegations. The 48-year-old British entertainer is facing accusations from five women, four of which have accused him of sexual assault as well as emotional abuse. Before the claims became public knowledge, Brand stated that he’d been made aware of them through personal correspondence. At that time, he vehemently denied any wrongdoing on his part. He’s still, however, feeling the effects of the situation on a professional level, as his management agency has officially dropped him. Now, the organization has spoken out on its decision to part ways with him.
This isn’t the first time the Big Brother's Big Mouth alum has faced allegations such as these. One of the women who recently shared her account spoke out against him in 2020 and made her concern known to Tavistock Wood Management. The group acknowledged that situation when making a statement (shared with NBC News) in the aftermath of this latest round of claims. While the company acknowledged that its former client refuted the assertions, it also alleged that three years ago, it didn’t possess accurate information:
Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.
The wave of allegations surfaced as part of an investigation jointly conducted by the Times, the Sunday Times and the Channel 4 program, Dispatches. The actor’s alleged encounters with the women are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013. One woman claimed the Arthur star raped her at his Los Angeles home, requiring her to seek services at a rape center. Another lady asserted that the comic sexually assaulted her in LA as well and that it occurred during a time that they were working together. She also says she was subsequently threatened into not taking legal action. Meanwhile, a third female accuser claims to have been sexually violated and physically and emotionally abused by the entertainer.
One of the more graphic accounts listed comes from a woman who claims she was engaged in a relationship with Russell Brand when she was 16 and he was in his 30s. She maintains that she was raped by the star and that in one instance, he “forced his penis down her throat,” causing her to choke. Additionally, she says he referred to her as “the child” throughout their time together. This is the same individual who reportedly approached Tavistock Wood in 2020.
The media presenter himself opened up about the allegations of assault this past Friday in a video he shared to his social media channels. At the time, didn’t get specific about what he’d been accused of, but he referred to the assertions as “egregious” and “aggressive.” While he admitted that he was more “promiscuous” at the height of his fame in the 2000s/2010s, he asserted that all of his relationships were “consensual.” Additionally, the stand-up vet lamented that his past transparency about his exploits had been “metastasized into something criminal.”
During the stretch of time listed in the exposé, Russell Brand was starring in a number of high-profile Hollywood productions. Rock of Ages (in which he played Lonny Barnett), Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek and the Arthur remake (which paired him with Helen Mirren) are just a few. He also parlayed his popularity at the time into a hosting gig on Saturday Night Live in 2011. His marriage to Katy Perry – and the speculation surrounding their eventual divorce – also brought Brand notoriety.
As of this writing, Russell Brand hasn’t released any further statements since making those comments in the video shared to social media. Time will tell if he decides to weigh in further or even comment on his agency’s decision to sever ties with him.
