This article contains references to sexual violence, coercive control, and violence against women.

Russell Brand, 48, has been accused of rape, sexual assault, manipulation and emotional abuse by a number of alleged victims. The allegations were exposed on 16 September 2023, via a joint investigation conducted by The Times and The Sunday Times together with Channel 4's Dispatches. The Channel 4 documentary, Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches, was released on 18 September, detailing the investigation. Brand denies the allegations.

The youngest of Brand's alleged victims was just 16 when Brand, aged 31 then, is said to have had an emotionally-abusive and controlling relationship with her. Another alleged victim has told the Sunday Times that Brand raped her in 2012 at his home in Los Angeles, and she received treatment at a rape crisis centre later that day.

1975: Russell Brand's birthplace and personal life

Russell Brand was born in Grays, Essex, in 1975. He was raised by his mother after his parents separated when he was six months old. Aged 16, he left home due to a troubled relationship with his mother's partner and began to take illegal drugs. He has written in his memoir that he had a “strange relationship” with his father who he alleged took him visit prostitutes in Thailand when he was a teenager.

He attended Italia Conti Academy in 1991 but was expelled during his first year for illicit drug taking and poor attendance. He went to rehab in 2003 to recover from alcohol and drug addiction.

Brand has been married twice: first to Katy Perry, whom he married in October 2010 after meeting the previous year, and subsequently to Laura Brand, born Gallacher. a children's author. The couple have two daughters, born in 2016 and 2018 respectively, and the family live in Henley, Oxfordshire.

2000: Russell Brand's comedy and presenting career

Brand was first in the spotlight as a video journalist for MTV, presenting the Dancefloor Chart in 2000, before being fired the following year for coming into work dressed as Osama Bin Laden in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

After coming out of rehab in 2004, he went on to host Big Brother's spin-off show, Big Brother's Eforum, the same year, continuing in the role until 2007. It is during this time he is alleged to have pursued female audience members for sex and exposed himself to a member of the crew.

Russell presented a radio show, The Russell Brand Show, on the BBC between 2006 and 2008. He launched his late night talk show, Brand X, in 2012. It is during the launch party for this series that he is said to have raped one of his victims, given the pseudonym Nadia on the Dispatches show.

Russell was on a tour of his latest live show, Bipolarisation, in September 2023 when the allegations broke. The final two remaining tour dates have been postponed following the allegations.

2007: Russell Brand's acting career

After appearing in several episodes of The Bill as a teenager in 1994, Brand had his first film role in 2007 in the St. Trinian's film. He later appeared in 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall alongside Kristen Bell.

Other notable film roles included 2010's Get Him To The Greek, alongside Jonah Hill; Arthur; and Rock of Ages. He also did some voice roles, including voicing Dr. Nefario in Despicable Me, and Creek in Trolls.

2008: BBC resignation

In 2008, Brand resigned from the BBC after a scandal over a phone call he made, together with Jonathan Ross, to actor Andrew Sachs, which Brand circulated on air to his BBC radio audience. During the phone call, Ross announced to Sachs, “He [meaning Brand] fucked your granddaughter”. Brand subsequently resigned from the BBC, after the BBC Trust deemed the calls a "deplorable intrusion with no editorial justification". Brand apologised six years later.

Following the allegations made against Brand on 16 September 2023, a BBC spokesperson has responded on behalf of the organisation: “Russell Brand worked for a number of different organisations, of which the BBC was one. As is well known, Russell Brand left the BBC after a serious editorial breach in 2008 – as did the then controller of Radio 2. The circumstances of the breach were reviewed in detail at the time. We hope that demonstrates that the BBC takes issues seriously and is prepared to act.

"Indeed, the BBC has, over successive years, evolved its approach to how it manages talent and how it deals with complaints or issues raised. We have clear expectations around conduct at work, these are set out in employment contracts, the BBC Values, the BBC code of conduct and the anti-bullying and harassment policy. We will always listen to people if they come forward with any concerns, on any issue related to any individual working at the BBC, past or present.”

2014: Starts YouTube channel

Brand has been broadcasting on YouTube ever since 2014, starting with his series, The Trews: True News with Russell Brand. His channel became increasingly prolific and engaged with right-wing politics during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing 14.5 million subscribers in March 2022.

Russell moved his channel to video broadcasting platform Rumble in September 2022, after YouTube took down one of his videos on the grounds of “medical misinformation”.

September 2023: Sexual assault allegations come out

At time of writing, the Met Police has reported that a “number of allegations of sexual offences” have been issued against Russell Brand, joining the initial five alleged victims interviewed as part of Channel 4's Dispatches documentary.

Brand has responded to the allegations on his YouTube channel, saying: “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,” he said. “The relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual.”

YouTube has demonetised Brand's channel, whereas various brands have suspended their advertising from his channel on Rumble.

November 2023: Two more people come forward with allegations

In November 2023, the BBC announced that a total of five people had come forward with official complaints against Brand in relation to his time as a BBC host between 2006 and 2008. Two people came forwards after the investigation by The Times was launched, while the other three had made complaints between the years 2006 and 2013.

The BBC claims that the two new allegations are in relation to his “workplace conduct” and are not of a “serious sexual nature”.

There have been no arrests and enquiries into Brand's conduct are ongoing.

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