Russell Brand was reportedly questioned by police in 2014 over allegations he assaulted a masseuse after she was hired to give him a £500 birthday massage.
The alleged victim reportedly told police she was “touched” by Brand, 48, at a £5million mansion in Oxfordshire, which she said left her traumatized.
The allegations, reported by The Sun on Sunday, are the first known case in which the comedian has been questioned by police over assault allegations.
The masseuse contacted Thames Valley Police, who interviewed Brand. The comedian denied any wrongdoing and the case was dismissed.
Today in the Sunday Times, Alice – an alleged victim who says she dated Brand when she was sixteen – wrote in the Sunday Times more details about her experience with the comedian, who she says asked her for explicit photos before she found out her age.
She used the platform to propose changes to the law that would make it illegal for anyone over 21 to engage in sexual activity with anyone under 18, amid an ongoing debate about the appropriateness of sexual behavior between people with such an age gap.
Brand’s old school has called on former pupils to come forward with allegations after a classmate at the Italia Conti Performing Arts School in central London accused the comedian of groping female students under a “cloak of love”.
Comedian Russell Brand denied any wrongdoing and the case was dismissed
Russell Brand poses with burlesque dancers Vanessa and Valeria at the Brit Awards 2007 Valentine’s Day photocall at Earls Court, London on February 13, 2007
According to The Sun, the masseuse was hired to give Brand a massage at the Oxfordshire mansion in June 2014.
She claims she was touched by Brand before being forced out of the house, which she protested.
Police say Brand told them he felt unwell when the woman arrived and decided to stop the massage – and then was escorted out of the house and left.
He said it was friendly but awkward.
Brand claimed that CCTV supported his side of the story, and police later informed Brand that they would not be pursuing the matter further.
Regardless, Brand’s old school is now appealing to graduates to come forward with allegations of abuse.
It follows an allegation that the comedian grabbed girls under his “cloak of love” while studying at the prestigious performing arts school in central London.
According to The Mirror, the school is said to be “deeply concerned” about Tony Brown’s claims.
Comedian Russell Brand has been hit with a series of allegations of misconduct following a four-year joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches, which was published last Saturday.
Brand denies all allegations of impropriety and said all of his relationships were consensual.
Four women came forward, including one who claimed Brand raped her against the wall of his Los Angeles home in 2013.
Another woman claimed he sexually abused her when she was 16 and still in school.
Following the scandal, a fifth woman filed a report with the Metropolitan Police, claiming she was sexually abused by the star in Soho, London, in 2003.
The police are investigating the allegations.
A sixth woman accused Brand of locking her in a dressing room and tying her to the sofa with a “glazed” look on her face. The alleged incident is said to have occurred in 2008, when the comedian was 33, after a gig in west London, according to The Sun.
On Thursday, a seventh woman came forward to claim that Brand exposed himself to her in an office where BBC Los Angeles worked in 2008, before recording a program for Radio 2 in which he appeared to joke about the alleged incident.
An eighth woman, named Sarah to protect her identity, claimed the comic made her feel “vulnerable and intimidated” after he allegedly refused to get her a taxi until she performed a sexual act.
Alice, who said she had a relationship with Brand when she was 16, suggested that consideration should be given to “tiered consent” in the law “so that it doesn’t end up with adults exploiting a 16-year-old.” [or] “Ability of a 17-year-old for sexual self-determination”
Alice, who was sixteen at the time of her relationship with Brand, spoke to The Sunday Times on Sunday about her experience.
She recalled how Brand allegedly asked her to send pictures of herself in the bathtub until he found out her age – at which point he stopped.
Alice added: “At that age I was still legally forbidden from watching pornography for two years.” I couldn’t vote; I couldn’t drink; But I was free to date a man in his seventies if I wanted.’
“Like many 16-year-olds, I was stubborn and thought I was so mature.” He told me I was an adult and I believed it. My mother couldn’t go to the police as much as she wanted to because what would they have said? My daughter is 16 but in a relationship with a grown man? “It wasn’t illegal,” she continued.
She recalled being offered the wine list on their first date – and replied that she didn’t drink.
“Can’t drink,” Brand is said to have chimed in.
The comments come amid a growing debate over whether it is appropriate for older men to date much younger women.
An Ipsos poll found that 31 percent of men think it is acceptable for a 30-year-old man to have sex with a 16-year-old girl, while only 15 percent of women agree.
When it comes to a 16-year-old girl having a sexual relationship with a man aged 50 or older, more than one in ten men (13%) thought this was acceptable, compared to 3% of women.
Alice has suggested that “tiered consent” needs to be considered in the law “so that it does not result in adults exploiting a 16-year-old.” [or] A 17-year-old’s capacity for sexual determination.
She explained her position to the Sunday Times today: “I believe that 16 and 17 year olds should be allowed to explore their sexuality, but without undue influence from people much older. “They should be able to make mistakes and make mistakes to learn from them, but it should be at eye level.
‘[T]There should be a graduated approval here – a change in the law. The age of consent could remain at 16, but I think it would be reasonable to recommend that it is a criminal offense for a person over 21 to engage in sexual activity with a person under 18. “In this way, we might be able to find a balance between protecting teenagers from harm and respecting their sexual autonomy.”
Women were slightly more likely than men to support raising the age of consent and believed that older men had more power in relationships with an age gap of at least 10 years.
On Saturday, the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches reported on allegations of abusive and predatory behavior, including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, committed by the comedian between 2006 and 2013
Brand seen on BBC Radio 2 on December 5, 2014 in London. He denies all allegations
The BBC is also currently facing fresh questions about its role in the unfolding scandal as it investigates allegations about the comedian’s behavior during his time at the broadcaster.
The BBC has launched an investigation into new claims about Brand’s alleged behavior in Los Angeles in 2008.
In a statement, a spokesman said: “We are very sorry to hear about these allegations and we will investigate them.”
“We are conducting a review to investigate allegations of this nature and if the woman who has told her story is willing to speak to us, we would be very interested to hear from her and anyone else who may have information could.”
“An important part of the review is to understand what complaints were made at the time, whether there was knowledge of Russell Brand’s conduct while working at BBC radio and what action was taken as a result.”
“We will of course be speaking to the office team and everyone who worked there in 2008 as part of this matter.”
“Furthermore, the Director General has made it very clear that some programs from this period were and are inexcusable and completely unacceptable and would never be broadcast today.”
Two former BBC bosses are also now facing new questions about their roles in the wider investigation into Brand’s alleged misconduct while working at the radio.
Lesley Douglas, who was in charge of BBC Radio 2 during Brand’s tenure, has been exempted from confidentiality restrictions so her role can be investigated.
According to the Sunday Times, new evidence will also “raise questions about the judgment of Sir Mark Thompson, the BBC’s former director general.”
Web contacted Thames Valley Police for comment.