Russell Brand Unmasked: The Shocking Truth Behind the Mythology

Holly Thomas, a writer and editor from London, currently working as the morning editor at Katie Couric Media, shared her opinions on this matter. British media outlets, including The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4's "Dispatches," conducted a joint investigation and published a report last weekend. The investigation included accounts from four women who claimed that Russell Brand, a comedian, actor, and YouTube personality, had sexually assaulted them on different occasions between 2006 and 2013. Shockingly, one of the alleged victims was only 16 years old at the time.

Holly Thomas

The Times report includes text messages exchanged between Brand and one of his accusers. In these messages, she clearly states, "When a girl says NO it means no." The paper reveals that Brand responded with an apology. On Monday, the Metropolitan Police declared that they are investigating another claim of sexual assault against Brand, dating back to 2003. Although the police spokesperson did not mention Brand by name, they acknowledged the coverage of sexual offense allegations in The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches.

Brand vehemently denied the media reports through a video shared on his Instagram account. He referred to the allegations as "extremely serious" and emphatically denied their validity.

His devoted fans swiftly came to his aid, while others criticized the notion of "mainstream media" conspiring against influential men with right-wing affiliations. Some openly pondered why the women involved did not step forward earlier or report the incidents to the police initially.

The familiar voices speak up when allegations like these surface, raising doubts about why a survivor would hesitate to speak out or decide against involving the authorities.

The explanation lies in the enduring nature of such situations. These experiences inflict deep trauma and require immense strength to endure a lengthy and painful legal process, which rarely yields any hopes of pressing charges or achieving a conviction. This expectation can prove overwhelming for individuals who are already battling to survive.

Russell Brand leaves the Troubabour Wembley Park theater in northwest London after performing a comedy set on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.

James Manning/PA/AP

YouTube stops Russell Brand making money from his videos after sexual assault allegations

Taking on their attacker, whether in court or in public, can reawaken buried pain. The emotional and financial risks involved are even greater when the accused perpetrator is wealthy, famous, and possesses substantial resources to make life exceedingly challenging for their accusers. These factors, and more, are heightened in the specific case of Brand and the individuals alleging his misconduct.

The entertainment industry, during the early 2000s, was deeply entrenched in misogyny. Paparazzi were often rewarded for capturing invasive "upskirt" shots of celebrities, while their female targets were subjected to slut-shaming. This toxic environment provided the perfect backdrop for someone like Brand to flourish. From the very beginning, he set a low standard for his behavior.

After exploring comedy in his early career, he secured a position as a video journalist at MTV. However, he was fired on September 12, 2001, after showing up to work dressed as Osama bin Laden. In 2004, he made a comeback in the British comedy scene. Brand's controversial content, which included sexually explicit and demeaning material about women, along with personal stories from his time in rehab for heroin addiction, established his reputation as a unique and talkative ladies' man. His promiscuity was attributed to both his charisma and his self-proclaimed status as a "sex addict."

In 2006, Brand launched his own radio show on BBC Radio 2. The following year, he made a phone call on air to Sir Jimmy Savile. According to a Times report, Brand mentioned having a personal assistant whose responsibilities included meeting, greeting, and providing massages upon his request. This conversation took place four years before Savile's death and five years before the horrific crimes committed by Savile came to light.

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Brand pulled a prank during a comedy performance in Northampton in 2008 when he decided to make a phone call to the local police, claiming to have witnessed a man involved in a series of assaults. Surprisingly, no charges were pressed against him by the authorities. Later that year, together with television presenter Johnathan Ross, Brand utilized their BBC Radio 2 show to carry out yet another prank call, but this time targeting British actor Andrew Sachs.

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) attentively listen to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as she testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Brett M. Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. The hearing took place on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 27, 2018. Dr. Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at Stanford University School of Medicine, has accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee, of sexually assaulting her at a party in 1982 when they were high school students in suburban Maryland. The photo credits go to Tom Williams/Pool/Getty Images.

The duo left numerous voicemail messages on Sachs' phone, making jokes about Brand's past intimate involvement with his granddaughter, 23-year-old Georgina Baillie. They indirectly suggested that Sachs might contemplate suicide and later made further abusive calls in an attempt to apologize.

The BBC received tens of thousands of complaints in the weeks following the show's broadcast. For the first time, the target of Brand's misogynistic outbursts was not the woman in question, but a man who had been associated with her, resulting in his humiliation. This incident also marked the first occasion where Brand faced significant consequences, as he was suspended and subsequently resigned amidst the backlash. However, these consequences proved to be only temporary. Meanwhile, Baillie, feeling humiliated, expressed her gratitude for her survival while bemoaning the perceived futility of speaking out against Brand due to his perceived invincibility. Her ordeal unfolded publicly and garnered praise for Brand, underscoring the message that this man is beyond reproach.

During the period when the reported assaults occurred, and even afterwards, Brand's career flourished despite his despicable treatment of women. His autobiography, "My Booky Wook" published in 2007, recounts instances of him spitting in a sex worker's face and throwing another person's phone against a wall. The book became immensely popular, topping the Sunday Times bestseller list for seven weeks in the UK. His success led to a lucrative $3.5 million two-book deal with HarperCollins.

Surprisingly, Brand's openness about his behavior reduced the criticism he faced. Other comedians were aware of predators within their industry, but hesitated to directly accuse anyone due to the high standard of proof required by libel laws. Moreover, one of Brand's accusers has alleged that those in power not only disregarded his disturbing actions, but went out of their way to accommodate them.

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Join us on Twitter and Facebook and witness the daunting nature of accusing someone like Brand. Not only does he possess immense wealth to mount a strong legal defense, but he also enjoys a significant following, with countless fans ready to amplify his response. In addition, he displays a shameless inclination to self-promote, even when others would seek refuge in anonymity.

Being a rock star comedian who built his career on pushing the boundaries of acceptability, he not only desensitized the public to his most outrageous behavior, but also created a narrative around it. This happened at a time when women were being degraded and objectified in a deeply degrading and sexual manner.

Every time he provoked laughter with a cruel joke or admiration for a scandalous escapade, he made his audience become accomplices in his inappropriate actions. If they ever felt inclined to turn against him, they would be compelled to question why they hadn't done so earlier. Meanwhile, those who wonder why it took so long for people to speak out only intensify the greatest fear of every victim who has yet to reveal their abuser: the fear that no one will believe them.