British actor and presenter Russell Brand described Friday as “an extraordinary and painful week” without commenting on the allegations against him in his first statement since being charged with rape and assault.
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“Of course, it has been an extraordinary and difficult week and I thank you very much for your support and for challenging the information presented to you,” he said in a video posted on his YouTube channel, June 6 has .64 million subscribers.
“I need your support more than ever, more than I ever imagined,” he added, without commenting on the joint investigation by the Times, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 published last week.
In this investigation, four women accused him of rape, sexual assault and psychological violence.
On Thursday, a woman accused him of exhibitionism in 2008.
The provocative comedian turned anti-establishment guru has criticized the British government for calling on tech giants to take action against him. He railed against “collusion between the state and corporations” and “corruption and censorship in the media” and said he would release a longer video on Monday.
Mr. Brand, 48, has strenuously denied the allegations from at least five women. He claims his relationships have always been “consensual,” even during a time when he admitted to being “very, very wanton.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman, Rishi Sunak, called the allegations “very serious and worrying,” adding that the leader “has made it clear that there should never be room for harassment, no matter where it occurs.”
Publisher Bluebird announced that it had suspended “all future publications” featuring the comedian, and video-sharing platform YouTube had also disabled his content.