Senior British politicians called on Monday for a thorough police investigation into the sexual assault allegations leveled against Russell Brand. These allegations have spotlighted the U.K. entertainment industry and raised questions about whether Brand’s fame shielded him from accountability for his alleged misconduct.
Brand has vehemently denied the accusations of sexual assault by four women, featured in a Channel 4 television documentary, Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches and reported in The Times and Sunday Times newspapers.
The accusers’ identities have not been disclosed, but their claims include one individual who alleges that she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with Brand when she was just 16 years old. She also alleged that Brand sent BBC cars to pick her up from school.
Another woman has accused Brand of raping her in Los Angeles in 2012.
In response to these allegations, Russell Brand has consistently refuted all claims, asserting in a video statement that his relationships were always consensual.
Max Blain, the spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, expressed deep concern about the allegations, describing them as “very serious and concerning.” He emphasized the importance of treating those making the accusations with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity.
Caroline Nokes, a Conservative legislator who chairs the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, called for a thorough investigation into the “incredibly shocking” allegations. She urged law enforcement agencies in both Britain and the United States to take action.
She stressed the need for a criminal investigation, highlighting the longstanding issue of men, who are typically the perpetrators of such crimes, evading accountability for their actions. In her words, “This merits and needs a criminal investigation because for too long we have seen men — and the perpetrators of these sorts of crimes are almost invariably men — not being held to account for their behaviors and their actions,” she expressed during her interview on BBC radio.
