Russell Brand has broken his silence following allegations of rape and sexual assault, having released a new video to address what has been an 'extraordinary and distressing week' - and to address censorship on online content by 'big tech platforms'.
Watch what he had to say below:
The comedian is at the centre of serious allegations of sexual assault and rape, following a joint investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times.
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He denied the allegations in a pre-emptive YouTube video last Saturday (16 September), accusing the media of planning a coordinated attack against him.
He said: "Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.”
He has now issued a new three-minute video, thanking fans for their support in the wake of the accusations.
Brand said: "Hello there, you awakening wonders. Obviously, it's been an extraordinary and distressing week. And I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you've been presented with.
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"By now, you're probably aware that the British government have asked big tech platforms to censor our online content. And the some online platforms have complied with that request. Well, you may not know is that this happens in the context of the online safety bill, which is a piece of UK legislation that grants sweeping surveillance and censorship powers, and it's a law that has already been passed."
Brand went on to talk about the 'trusted news initiative', claiming that his listeners should never trust any official body when it has the word 'trust' in its acronym.
He claimed that channels like the BBC, CNN and others work together in 'constructing narratives, whether that's around the war or the pandemic'.
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"The trusted news Initiative is a collaboration between big tech and legacy media organisations to target control, choke and shut down independent media organisations like this one," he added.
"We'll be talking about that on our show on Monday on Rumble."
Four women have come forward alleging Brand sexually assaulted them between the period of 2006 and 2013 - when Brand was working for Channel 4, the BBC and also starring in films.
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One woman claimed Brand raped her at his Los Angeles home, with medical records confirming she visited a rape crisis centre the same day.
A second woman alleged she was just 16 years old when Brand assaulted her, accusing the comedian of referring to her as 'the child' during their three-month 'emotionally abusive and controlling' relationship.
A third woman also accused Brand of sexually assaulting her when they worked together and the fourth alleged emotional and physical abuse as well as sexual assault.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivor’s Trust for free on 08088 010 818, or through their website thesurvivorstrust.org
Topics: Celebrity, Russell Brand
Jess Hardiman