On Friday, Russell Brand, a British comedian and actor, spoke of an “extraordinary and distressing week” in the first public comments since rape and assault allegations were opened against him, but didn’t address the claims.
In a video published on his YouTube channel, which has 6.65 million subscribers, Russell Brand said, “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. I need your support now more than ever, more than I ever imagined I would.”
But he did not remark on the mutual probe by The Times, Sunday Times, and Channel 4 television in which four women made claims of rape, sexual assaults, and emotional abuse against him.
Then on Thursday, a woman accused Brand of exposing himself to her in 2008.
Brand slammed the British government for asking tech firms to take action against him.
Condemning what he defined as “deep state and corporate collusion” and “media corruption and censorship,” he said he would publish a lengthy video on Monday.
Last week, in a video released, hours before the story was disclosed, Brand declined the allegations against him, which are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.
He said his relationships had always been “consensual,” even during a time when he acknowledged he was “very, very promiscuous.”
An official spokesman of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the allegations “very serious and concerning.”
Sunak “has been apparent there should never be any room for harassment, regardless of where it is seen,” he added.
Brand’s publisher Bluebird declared that “all future publishing” with the comedian had been put on pause.
YouTube, a Video-sharing platform, has also demonetized his content.
