In September 2023, Russell Brand was finally outed as a serial predator of women and girls. A British newspaper did some detailed reporting on multiple accusers over the years, with several women even going on the record. It was big news at the time, even if Brand’s predations had been an open secret for years. At the time of the report, Brand had been a has-been for years, if not a full-on pariah in most comedy/film/television communities. All of which went a long way towards explaining his entrance into the right-wing grift machine, basically repackaging misogyny and incel culture to boys and men. That hard-right turn made it possible for Brand to ensconce himself in an indoctrinated community which believes that credible rape accusations are always a “witch hunt.” Well, it took more than a year and a half for Brand to finally get arrested for his many crimes:
Prosecutors in Britain have charged Russell Brand, the comedian and actor, with multiple counts of sexual assault, including two counts of rape. The country’s Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges on Friday. Jaswant Narwal, a prosecutor, said in the statement that Mr. Brand, 50, would appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London for a first hearing on May 2.
Ms. Narwal added that the charges “relate to reported non-recent offenses between 1999 and 2005, involving four women.” The British police began investigating Mr. Brand’s past behavior in September 2023, after The Sunday Times, The Times of London and the TV network Channel 4 published a joint investigation into allegations against him.
On Friday, Mr. Brand posted a video on social media in which he denied ever having committed rape or sexual assault and said he had “never engaged in nonconsensual activity.” Mr. Brand added that he was grateful that he would have a chance to defend himself in court.
The Metropolitan Police in London outlined further details of the charges in a news release on Friday. Mr. Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area, in southern England, in 1999; of indecently assaulting a woman in London in 2001; of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in London in 2004; and, between 2004 and 2005, of sexually assaulting a fourth woman in London.
The police statement added: “The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
The last part about the police asking people to come forward if they have more information is important – the case is built on four brave women coming forward to press charges and get the criminal investigation and prosecution going. But we all know that Brand has more than four victims out there. That’s one thing about serial predators: they always have plenty of victims. Most victims don’t want to be the first ones to come forward, but I hope some of them will speak to the police now that he’s already being charged.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red, RFK Jr’s Instagram.
