Russell Brand’s comedy shows have been postponed amid sexual abuse allegations
Comedian Russell Brand is facing the fallout from sexual assault allegations as his agency fired him and promoters postponed his live comedy shows.
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Comedian Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four different women. Brand denied the allegations and said all of his relationships were consensual. As headlines and fans alike reveal the allegations, one name keeps coming up in the discussion: Katy Perry.
Perry and Brand have been divorced for more than a decade and she has made comments in the past that raised eyebrows about how he treated her during their brief marriage. But her name rose in Google searches on Monday and dozens of articles were published rehashing her relationship with Brand.
When men are accused of terrible things, many often look to the women closest to them and wait anxiously for a response. Even if the story has nothing to do with them.
“Say it loud, Katy!! #RussellBrand you need to (speak out) for ALL women, these are predators who abuse,” one X user (formerly known as Twitter) wrote.
The demand for Perry to respond publicly reflects the impossibility of women’s standing in a culture of rampant sexual violence. Women are more likely to be sexually abused than men, but they are also expected to speak out against this violence in ways that men are not.
“What Russell Brand did during her marriage (and outside of marriage) is not Katy Perry’s responsibility,” says Anna Marcolin, psychotherapist and personal development life coach. “The only person who has the duty and obligation to talk about this is Russell Brand.”
Why are we talking about Katy Perry?
Brand married Perry in 2010 after meeting on the set of Get Him to the Greek in 2009. The two divorced in 2012, with Perry claiming in her June 2013 Vogue cover that Brand had asked for divorce via text.
“When I first met (Brand), he wanted someone who was his equal, and I think strong men often want someone who is his equal, but then they get that equal and they think: I can’t handle the equality clear. He did it.” “I don’t like the atmosphere where I’m the boss on tour,” Perry said in 2013. “It was really hurtful and very controlling, which was annoying. I had a huge responsibility for it to end, but then I found it to bring out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily reveal because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day.
It’s worth noting that some of the allegations against Brand relate to the time he and Perry were married. And Perry was also accused of sexual misconduct.
But does that mean she owes the public something?
“The perception is that women are responsible for protecting other women. … We expect them to take more responsibility and ownership for the actions of others,” Laura Palumbo, communications director at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, previously told USA TODAY. “But we don’t expect men to empathize with all of women’s painful experiences. Whenever men express their opinions and speak positively, it seems like they are doing their best.”
Nicole Bedera, a sociologist who studies how colleges cover up sexual violence, previously told USA TODAY that the patriarchal aspects of our society mean that “no matter what men do, it is women who are burdened by their actions.” whether the burden is great.” sexual trauma or the need to cover up what they have done or take on the anger of what they have done. In every case, we shift the burden of sexual violence onto women.”
What sexual abuse allegations mean for those who speak out
According to a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4’s Dispatches, one woman accused Brand of raping her, while three others accused him of sexual assault. One of the women also said he was physically and emotionally abused.
Following the rise of the #MeToo movement and a societal shift in the importance placed on consent, many people have found themselves dealing with someone they know, socialize with, or even love, accusing them of inappropriate behavior becomes. And sometimes that person is a public figure.
Russell Brand’s allegations are piling up: The comedian was fired by the agent and has to start an investigation
“Ever-evolving social reckoning”
During the 2020 presidential election, Stacey Abrams, a national name in the Democratic Party and current Georgia gubernatorial candidate, was asked to respond to sexual assault allegations against then-presidential candidate Biden. Abrams said, “Women deserve to be heard,” but also, “I believe Joe Biden.”
Bedera recalled that some survivors felt Abrams’ response did not go far enough. Others understood the predicament she found herself in.
Perhaps our time would be better spent analyzing why Abrams was asked this question in the first place.
The same goes for our discourse about Perry: “What matters most is what Katy Perry thinks and what she expects of herself,” Marcolin adds. “She can respond, react, say something, write something – whatever she wants. But it would be her choice to respond and does not make her guilty in any way.”
Palumbo hopes that as more survivors come forward, the public will increasingly ask men to speak out about sexual violence.
“We are in this ever-evolving societal struggle,” she previously explained, “and we must come to terms with the fact that sexual harassment, assault and abuse are as pervasive as the statistics have always shown us.”
Contributors: Alia Dastagir, Naledi Ushe and The Associated Press
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