Disgraced comedian Russell Brand has been accused of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour by six additional women.
The 51-year-old, who was found guilty last week of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others, now faces further allegations said to span roughly a decade. The claims include accusations that he ignored women’s requests to stop during sex and used his celebrity status to target young fans.
A new investigation by The Times and The Sunday Times features accounts from six women who allege they experienced sexual assault, coercive conduct or humiliating treatment involving the former Hollywood star.
The developments come as Brand is reportedly being considered for transfer to the high-security prison dubbed ‘Monster Mansion’, where Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins was stabbed to death last year.
Brand, who received a ten-and-a-half-year sentence on Monday, is currently being held at HMP Wandsworth in London. He could reportedly be moved to HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.
The Sun reported that prison officials believe the Category A jail may offer Brand greater protection because of its larger staffing levels and more highly equipped officers, despite two high-profile inmates being killed there last year.
A source said Brand could face a challenging period in custody and may initially need to be kept apart from other prisoners for his own safety.
‘If the transfer happens, his time there will be extremely difficult. The prison houses some very dangerous killers and sex offenders, so Brand would have to be separated from them at first,’ the source said.
Russell Brand, 51, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court last week of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others
Brand was pictured outside Southwark Crown Court on November 5 alongside his wife Laura Gallacher after being found guilty
Brand could reportedly be sent to the prison where Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins was killed last year
The latest allegations include one woman’s claim that Brand had sex with her without consent before later apologising. Another woman says he carried on having sex despite her repeatedly telling him to stop because she was in pain.
A third woman alleges that Brand seized her by the throat and sexually assaulted her in a hotel room. A fourth claims he tried to pull her into a disabled toilet at a London venue as recently as 2015.
The new claims surfaced after Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court earlier this week.
The allegations have not been tested in court. They could not previously be reported because of concerns that publication might have affected the criminal proceedings.
Most of the six women first approached journalists after the joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches was published in September 2023. That investigation led to a Metropolitan Police inquiry.
One woman, referred to by the pseudonym Alex, said she first met Brand during a professional meeting at his London home in the late 2000s.
Alex, who was in her 30s at the time, said Brand initially won her over by behaving like an ‘enthralled fan’. The pair later entered an on-and-off relationship.
She alleges that his conduct became progressively more controlling. On one occasion, she claims he had sex with her without consent after she asked him to stop because he was not wearing a condom.
Alex alleges that Brand dismissed her objections and continued despite her trying to move away. She said she was afraid to physically resist because she did not know how he would respond.
She claims Brand later apologised in person and through text messages. That apology, she said, helped persuade her to continue the relationship: ‘I told myself that at least he had admitted what he did.’
A source claimed Brand would initially need protection from other inmates if he is transferred to HMP Wakefield
Brand appeared with Kristen Bell in the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The comedian attended the Los Angeles premiere of Bedtime Stories in 2008
DISCOVER MORE: Big Brother finalist Segun Shodipo reveals future with Hanah Haji
Brand and Katy Perry, who were married for just over a year, pictured in 2010
This is not the first allegation that Brand apologised after a woman accused him of sexual assault.
Hi, I’m Alex Matthews, Editor of The Crime Desk.
Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults, while our reporters Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull followed the case at Southwark Crown Court from start to finish. They are now examining the wider story, speaking with detectives involved in the investigation, lawyers who specialise in sexual offences and psychologists about the impact on victims.
Subscribe to The Crime Desk to hear the podcast HERE
Nadia, who spoke to The Times and The Sunday Times during the original 2023 investigation, still has messages showing how she confronted Brand shortly after he allegedly raped her.
‘When a girl says no, it means no,’ she wrote.
Brand responded that he was ‘very sorry’.
Another woman, known as Vicky, alleges that Brand continued having sex with her even though she repeatedly pleaded with him to stop because she was in pain.
Vicky was 19 when she met Brand after attending one of his shows in 2007. She claims he picked her out from the audience and asked for her phone number.
The two later began a sexual relationship, but Vicky says Brand’s behaviour became increasingly degrading.
During their final encounter, she alleges that Brand began having sex with her on a sofa at his rented home while another woman was in a nearby bedroom.
Vicky says the sex became so painful that she asked him to stop twice, but he ignored her and continued.
Afterwards, she claims Brand seemed to recognise that the situation had been troubling when he told her: ‘Tonight was consensual. Nobody did anything they didn’t want to do.’
Vicky said she understood the comment as threatening and was left profoundly distressed.
‘I did not want to hold on to the fairy tale of meeting him when it had become a complete nightmare,’ she said.
The new accounts have renewed scrutiny of how Brand allegedly used his fame and access to young women during the height of his television and comedy career.
The investigation says three of the six women were approached at Brand’s performances. They allege he singled out female fans and arranged for people in his entourage to collect their phone numbers.
Several women said they were initially flattered by the attention of a famous comedian before allegedly encountering controlling or degrading behaviour.
The latest claims follow Brand’s conviction at Southwark Crown Court for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
He was acquitted of two rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The criminal investigation began after the original allegations were reported in September 2023, claims Brand has strongly denied.
How did Russell Brand become a predator, and what happens next? The Crime Desk offers exclusive insight through interviews with police, psychologists, lawyers and others. Sign up by clicking here.
READ MORE:
