Russell Brand Accused Of Horrific Crimes
After The Times, The Sunday Times, and a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation revealed allegations of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse against Russell Brand spanning seven years during the peak of his renown, the U.K. arm of the worldwide production company Banijay announced on Sunday an immediate internal investigation. The onslaught of allegations against the comedian and actor has sent shockwaves rippling through the entertainment industry.
Among other crimes, Russell Brand has been accused of sexually assaulting four women between 2006 and 2013.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the investigation undertaken by the abovementioned media entities, reported that four women have formally accused Russel Brand of sexually assaulting them between 2006 and 2013. During this time, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor was affiliated with both the BBC (as a presenter) and major Hollywood releases, such as Get Him to the Greek.
While the comedian-turned-actor-turned-political-pundit-turned-podcaster has firmly denied the accusations, they nonetheless depict him as abusive, controlling, and predatory.
Accusations against Russel Brand include that the actor allegedly exposed his genitalia to a runner. Also, that the Brand X host pursued women from his audience for sexual favors while affiliated with shows on EFourum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth.
Endomol produced both of these programs for Channel 4, before eventually merging with Shine Group in 2015, to form Endemol Shine, which was then subsequently acquired by French corporation, Banijay, in 2020.
Banijay (known primarily for producing reality shows), beyond launching their formal internal examination, also responded on Saturday, September 16, to these grave allegations by conveying serious concern. The corporation has promised to cooperate fully with all broadcast partners and external entities and, moreover, urge anyone impacted by Russell Brand’s alleged misconduct to come forward privately.
Accusations against Russel Brand include that the actor allegedly exposed his genitalia to a runner.
The comedian preemptively refuted the allegations in a video uploaded to his various social media accounts, in an effort to tackle the accusations head-on. In the video, the Death on the Nile star flatly denied a list of “egregious and aggressive” actions a major TV company and a news source have accused him of.
Russell Brand went on to characterize the accusations as stemming from a period during which he worked on mainstream projects and was, in his own words, “very, very promiscuous…” He nonetheless asserted that, during the time in question, every relationship he had was consensual.
On Saturday, Banijay also publicly emphasized its dedication to the wellbeing and safety of all staff, articulating its procedures and protocols to safeguard against such incidents. The company encourages any and all who witness or endure uncouth, inappropriate behavior or sexual assault to come forward and underscore their commitment through a worldwide code of conduct, an anonymous whistle-blowing line, and designated HR personnel.
Russell Brand went on to characterize the accusations as stemming from a period during which he worked on mainstream projects and was, in his own words, “very, very promiscuous…”
Banijay U.K. then went on to admit that their legacy company, Endemol, implemented safety measures during the years in question but that such measures, when affiliated with Russell Brand, were nonetheless not as thorough as they should have been or presently are. Regarding the fact that women working for Endemol did not feel sufficiently safeguarded or protected during their tenures in production, the company conveyed regret.
While the seriousness of the accusations–and the high-profile status of Russell Brand–more or less guarantee the situation will be closely monitored, it remains to be seen how it will unfold. We will be here for updates.
