British comic and actor Russell Brand on Friday spoke of an “extraordinary and distressing week” in his first public feedback since rape and assault allegations had been aired towards him, however didn’t tackle the claims.
“Obviously it’s been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information you are being presented with,” he stated on a video posted to his YouTube channel, which has 6.64 million subscribers.
“I need your support now more than ever, more than I ever imagined I would,” he added.
But he didn’t touch upon the joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 tv during which 4 ladies made claims of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse towards him.
Then on Thursday, a girl accused Brand of exposing himself to her in 2008.
Brand criticized the British authorities for asking tech corporations to take motion towards him.
Denouncing what he described as “deep state and corporate collusion” and “media corruption and censorship”, he stated he would put up an extended video on Monday.
In a video launched final week, simply earlier than the story broke, Brand, 48, denied the allegations towards him, that are stated to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.
He stated his relationships had all the time been “consensual”, even throughout a interval when he admitted he was “very, very promiscuous”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman referred to as the allegations “very serious and concerning”.
Sunak “has been clear there should never be any space for harassment, regardless of where it is found”, he added.
Brand’s writer Bluebird introduced that “all future publishing” with the comic had been placed on maintain. Video-sharing platform YouTube has additionally demonetised his content material.
© 2023 AFP