Russell Brand has made his first public comments since the Sunday Times of London published an article revealing five women’s allegations of “sexual assault and emotional abuse” and, in one case, rape. In a video posted to his official YouTube channel Friday afternoon, Brand did not directly address the details of the allegations but alluded to them in an opening statement.
“Hello, you awakening miracles,” Brand begins. “It has, of course, been an extraordinary and worrying week and I thank you very much for your support and for challenging the information presented to you.”
Brand continues from there, noting what he wants to discuss on his YouTube channel in the coming week, including topics like the pharmaceutical industry and media censorship. “You probably know that the UK government has asked major tech platforms to censor our online content, and some online platforms have complied with this request,” he says.
The video’s title, “So…” also seems to be a vague acknowledgment of the unfavorable spotlight Brand currently finds himself in. He also asks his viewers to follow him on the online video platform Rumble.
“Keep me and our channel independent. I need your support, now more than ever. More than I imagined,” Brand concludes. “More important than anything is that if you can, please stay free.”
Last Friday, a day before the Sunday Times published its report, Brand gave a pre-emptive response to the allegations against him. In that video, titled “So, This Is Happening,” Brand stated that he “absolutely rejects the astonishing, rather baroque attacks” against him, but did not elaborate on the allegations against him at the time.
Since the Times article, Brand’s live tour has been postponed and his publishing deal with Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird has been suspended. The BBC has also removed some previous programs featuring Brand from digital services, saying the content “falls short of the public’s expectations”.