Russell Brand is seen in resurfaced footage calling Morning Joe’s Mika Brzezinski a “shaft grabber” because of the way she holds her water bottle – forcing her to take a break.
Brand was 38 at the time and was promoting his Messiah Complex stand-up tour, which began in August 2013 in Abu Dhabi.
He seemed to enjoy the awkward interview in which he pretended to do the presenters’ work, mocked them for their clothing style and later tweeted: “That’s me on a crazy American show. “Pretty funny.”
But after a bombshell report accused him of rape and sexual assault on Sunday, Brand’s comments are being seen in a new light.
According to a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches, Brand has now been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women at the height of his fame.
The explosive allegations are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4. He has denied the allegations.
Russell Brand can be seen in an awkward appearance on Morning Joe from summer 2013
Brand is seen leaving the Troubabour Wembley Park theater in northwest London after a comedy set on Saturday evening. He denied the allegations but was dropped by his management
The comedian and actor began with a nod to the media, saying he enjoys performing stand-up because it gives him a direct connection to the audience.
“Don’t think about what I’m wearing — these things are just a distraction,” Brand said in response to Brian Shactman’s joke that he planned to come to work the next day dressed like Brand, with an open shirt and multiple necklaces .
“I’m distracted,” moderator Mika Brzezinski interjected. “Get distracted,” Brand said. ‘What do you think that gesture means – the way you touch the bottle?’ What’s the subtext of that?’
To loud laughter from the studio, Schactman said, “We have to take a break.”
Brand continued, “You have to lose this ring, Mika, because it means nothing to you.” She grabs the shaft. She is an arrow-grabber.’
Brzezinski looked a little taken aback and reached for her coffee cup to hide her shock.
“Russell…” began the other woman on the podium, Brit Katty Kay. Schactman said with a laugh: “It was free, but it was great.” “We buy tickets.”
The clip resurfaced on the same day as another similarly awkward encounter with Brand from the same year.
Singer Katherine McPhee was seen jumping on Russell Brand’s lap during her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2013.
Brand, now 48, appeared on the talk show a decade ago and attempted to flirt with the married actress, leaving viewers visibly uncomfortable.
But on Monday, the singer – who has been married twice – poured cold water on such suggestions. “This specific incident occurred over 10 years ago and was harmless,” she said.
In the wake of the bombshell allegations, video footage emerged of Russell Brand suggestively bouncing Katharine McPhee on his lap
The comedian, now 48, appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show in 2013, where he attempted to flirt outrageously with the married actress, 39 – leaving her feeling uncomfortable
Controversy: Jimmy tried to intervene when Russell started bouncing Katherine on his lap
“I didn’t know you were married!”: Russell continued to flirt with Katharine throughout the interview before realizing she was married to 58-year-old actor Nick Cokas
During the interview with Jimmy Fallon, Brand refused to leave the interview chair when McPhee stepped forward to speak to the host.
He told Fallon: “She’s welcome to sit here,” then grabbed her and bounced a shocked-looking McPhee on his lap – before she quickly jumped up.
After Fallon referred to McPhee’s husband, Brand interjected, “I didn’t know you were married. ‘I’m going to leave now.’
The Times and Sunday Times claim “several women” came forward with undisclosed allegations about Brand’s behavior in the early 2000s following their joint investigation with Channel 4, published on Saturday.
The maverick actor and stand-up comedian strenuously denied any wrongdoing and blamed the “mainstream media” for the “litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks.”
The latest allegations – which the newspaper said were not investigated by police but are now being “rigorously reviewed” – are based on allegations from four women, including one who claims she was sexually abused by Brand during a three-month relationship with him, when she was 16 and still in school.
Brand, in a 2 minute and 45 second monologue, criticized the “aggressive” media claims and insisted that all relationships he had “during his period of promiscuity” were “consensual”.
Brand has been accused by four women of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. Alice (pictured) claims Brand sexually abused her when she was 16
The BBC is also now facing “urgent questions” after claims Brand used his company-provided car service to pick the girl up from school.
Both the BBC and Channel 4 have launched internal investigations into separate allegations of predatory behavior by Brand towards staff and viewers during his employment.
Channel 4 has now removed all shows linked to Brand from its website, including episodes of The Great British Bake Off and Big Brother’s Big Mouth in which he appeared, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Netflix has since been asked to remove its comedy special titled Re:Birth from its streaming catalog.
The BBC investigation was announced minutes before Scotland Yard increased pressure and announced that investigators would like to speak to the comedian’s alleged victims.
Complaints raised in the investigation included allegations from a woman who claimed Brand raped her against the wall in his Los Angeles home.
Another woman claimed the comedian sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and that he threatened her with legal action if she told anyone.
While the third claimed she was sexually assaulted by Brand, who she said physically and emotionally abused her.
The fourth woman, who was named Alice to protect her identity, said she was 16 years old when he choked her during a sexual act.
She claims he took her virginity, was “preoccupied” with her being “innocent and pure,” and often referred to her as “the child.”
Alice described his behavior towards her as “grooming” as Brand allegedly provided her with scripts about how she would deceive her parents and allow her to visit him. She also claimed he would send his “BBC car” to her secondary school to pick her up.
“The first time I used it, he told me it was booked to drive him to his radio show, but a friend gave him a ride instead, so I should use that car,” she told the Times.
She claimed that the chauffeur once took her from Brand’s home to her grandmother’s house and that the same car “picked me up from school” on another occasion.
Alice added: “It was the same car… I knew it was a BBC car.”
The BBC initially did not commit to an investigation, but amid growing outrage it changed its position and a spokesman said it would “investigate the matter as a matter of urgency”.
In a statement, a BBC spokesman said: “The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations spanning several years.”
“Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programs between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently investigating the issues raised.”
In a 2 minute and 45 second monologue in front of his 11 million followers
He accused news organizations of coordinating an attack on him, telling his followers: “Is there another agenda at play?”
“Especially when we have seen coordinated media attacks before, such as Joe Rogan when he dared to take a drug that the mainstream media did not approve of, and we saw a flood of headlines from media outlets around the world , who used the same language.’