Russell Brand news: Police urge ‘victims’ to come forward as comedian denies Dispatches allegations

James Cleverly has spoken of the dangers of “sharp differentials in power” after Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse.

The Foreign Secretary did not comment specifically on the allegations, which Brand denies.

He told the Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News that he believed there was a “particular problem, where you have environments where there are very, very sharp differentials in power”.

He said: “We see that in the film industry, the entertainment industry and sadly, of course, we sit in the area that I work in terms of politics, where you have very, very significant power differentials, long working hours, people in that environment.

“Now, that is absolutely no excuse for individual misconduct and people have to take responsibility for their own conduct.

“In those environments, I think institutionally we need to be particularly vigilant. We need to make sure that we are going out of our way to protect the people that have less power than those around them. We need to respond to their concerns very, very quickly when they are highlighted.”

Police have encouraged any potential victims to come forward after comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotionally abusing four women.

Scotland Yard said it was “aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault”, after the allegations unearthed in a joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches were published on Saturday.

The audio was played in Channel 4’s Dispatches programme on Saturday.

Scandal-ridden comedian. Hollywood husband. Drug addict-turned-wellness-guru. Left-wing activist. Conspiracy theorist.

Over the course of two decades in the spotlight, the British stand-up and presenter Russell Brand has put forward many different personas to the public.

Now, another, darker side to the comic has emerged, after he released a video to deny “serious criminal allegations from four women, one as young as 16, covering period from 2006 to 2013”, which he said related to his “promiscuous” past.

Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse while he was at the height of his fame.

Four women have alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, while the comedian and actor also faces allegations of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

Brand strenuously denies the allegations.

Here is a timeline of the allegations made against Brand:

A woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand during a three-month relationship when she was 16 and still at school in 2006.

Commentator Tucker Carlson backed comedian Russell Brand after he posted a video on social media denying the sexual assault allegations.

“Criticize the drug companies, question the war in Ukraine, and you can be pretty sure this is going to happen,” Carlson wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The claims, which have now been published by The Sunday Times and Channel 4, detail the alleged rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse of four women between 2006 and 2013.

Russell Brand’s personal life was once the subject of regular media headlines, surrounded by scandal and controversy due to his very public antics.

In recent years, however, Brand, 44, appears to have made efforts to keep his home life out of the spotlight, following a tumultuous marriage and subsequent divorce from pop star Katy Perry.

Russell Brand performed at his sold-out stand-up comedy show in London as he faced allegations of sexual assault.

He was seen arriving at the 2,000-seater Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London on Saturday evening. The performance had been due to begin at 7pm but was delayed by more than 45 minutes because the comedian was reportedly stuck in traffic.

The show took place as a documentary was shown on Channel 4 detailing his alleged sexual abuse.

Mr Brand faces allegations from four women, one as young as 16, covering the period from 2006 to 2013 – all of which he denies. Others have accused Mr Brand of predatory and abusive behaviour, which Mr Brand also denies.

Comedian Russell Brand also appeared to receive support from Andrew Tate, the former kickboxing champion turned influencer charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania. Mr Tate has denied any wrongdoing.

“Welcome to the club,” Mr Tate wrote, tagging Mr Brand’s X account and sharing an image of a cartoon knight with the caption: “On my way to fight the crazy b**** allegations.”

Mr Brand’s sister-in-law, TV and radio broadcaster Kirsty Gallacher, also appeared to support him, as she shared his video along with a red heart emoji to her Instagram Stories.