A production company has launched an investigation into allegations about Russell Brand’s behavior while hosting a Big Brother spin-off.
Bannijay UK, which produced Big Brother’s EFourum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth in the early 2000s, said it had launched “an urgent investigation” into the conduct of the comedian, who hosted the shows between 2004 and 2006.
At issue are claims from former employees who worked on the shows that Brand made them “act like pimps” by counting the number of women in the audience and giving them notes from the host.
It was part of a larger series of bombshell claims against the 48-year-old star, which saw multiple women accuse him of abusive and predatory behavior, including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, between 2006 and 2013.
Brand, who has denied all claims and insists all relationships were “consensual”, has been sacked from a charity working to end violence against women in the wake of allegations published in the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches .
Last night comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women following a bombshell investigation. Pictured: Brand leaves the Troubabour Wembley Park theater in north London after a live performance of his show
Following Channel 4 Dispatches’ investigation into the alleged abuse, Trevi – a charity that supports vulnerable women and children – has cut all ties with Brand
On Brand’s charity Stay Free, he lists several organizations he also donates to. Trevi said it had severed ties with Brand, but the Treasures Foundation said it was not making a decision at this time
Two of the women on Channel 4’s Dispatches, which aired on Saturday evening, said they felt production companies had “enabled” Brand’s behavior.
Production manager Rachel, 24, worked with Brand on Big Brother’s EFourum, later Big Mouth. Weeks after she took on the role, Brand reportedly turned his attention to her.
Rachel said: “It’s hard to say when the line was crossed.” She added that producers often asked her to break unfavorable news to Brand to “soften the blow.”
She said the couple then had sex, which he told her was a breach of his contract.
Rachel said: “He made it clear to me that I couldn’t tell anyone on the crew because it was in his contract that he wasn’t allowed to have sexual contact with anyone working on Big Brother.
“It sounds a bit dramatic, but looking back and now as an older woman, I can say with clarity that I felt prepared for sex.”
“Production companies allowed him to exist in these environments where he could exploit his personality.”
Three employees who worked on Big Brother told Dispatches about Brand.
One said: “My job was to recruit viewers for the live show.” “We used to go out and hand out leaflets around universities to find university students who wanted to be on the show.”
Another said: “Russell points out spectators and asks runner to get phone numbers.”
A third said they were sometimes handed a paper saying which hotel Brand was in.
Production staff said they received tearful calls the next day from those who had seen the comedian.
One said: “It was like we were taking lambs to the slaughter.” “We basically acted like pimps when it came to Russell Brand’s needs.”
A spokesman for Bannijay UK told the Sun: “Given the very serious allegations… relating to alleged serious misconduct by Russell Brand made by Endomol between 2004 and 2005, Bannijay UK has launched an urgent internal investigation.”
“We also ask anyone who feels affected by Brand’s behavior while working on these productions to contact us confidentially.”
In a statement, Channel 4 said: “Channel 4 is appalled to learn of these deeply disturbing allegations, including behavior which allegedly took place in programs produced for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007.”
“We are committed to understanding the full nature of what happened. “We have carried out extensive document searches and found no evidence that the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4. We will continue to review this in light of any further information we receive, including reports from those affected.
“We will be asking the production company that produced the programs for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings to us properly and satisfactorily.”
“In the many years since the alleged incidents there have clearly been significant changes in Channel 4’s management and commissioning teams.” Today, Channel 4 takes a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behavior and has a strict code of conduct. We require all suppliers to have strong security policies in place and provide whistleblower support, including Channel 4’s Speak Up feature.
“We are committed to ensuring our industry has safe, inclusive and professional work environments.”
Trevi, a women’s charity that Brand has worked with for more than a year, announced today that it had “terminated its association with him.”
The organization, which helps vulnerable women and children, said it was “deeply saddened and dismayed” by the alleged victim’s stories, adding that its priority remains protecting the “safety and well-being of all women and girls.”
However, a photo of Brand can still be seen on the charity’s homepage, along with an article about how he is raising funds for Trevi at his new live show Bipolarization in Plymouth on Tuesday.
In a statement posted on Instagram just hours after the shocking documentary was released, Trevi said: “We are deeply saddened and dismayed by the stories reported on Channel 4 Dispatches about Russell Brand this evening.”
“Russell became aware of our charity in 2022 after hearing from some of the incredible mothers we have helped to become drug free over the years.” He wanted to support our cause and raise money through his Stay Free Foundation.
“Today’s revelations in the media have been difficult to process, but our priority remains the safety and well-being of all women and girls now and in the future.”
“We have ended our collaboration with Russell Brand and the Stay Free Foundation.”
“As a charity whose values put women’s voices at the heart of everything we do, we always value supporting women affected by violence and abuse and giving them the opportunity to live free from violence and fear.”
It added that it understood how the allegations could be triggering for some women and urged those in need of support to contact The Survivor Pathway.
In the investigation, a woman was accused of raping her against the wall in his Los Angeles home when she was 30. Another – who he referred to as “the child” – told how the presenter targeted her when he was 16 and still in school and he was 30.
Last night the Met Police said it had been “made aware of media reports of “a number of allegations of sexual assault” and urged any alleged victims to come forward.”
But in an extraordinary preemptive pushback, Brand took to social media ahead of the 90-minute Dispatches documentary to “absolutely deny” a series of “very serious criminal allegations.”
The comedian also supports several other organizations, including the Friendly House – an organization in Los Angeles that supports women seeking recovery from alcohol and other substance use.
One of the charities Brand supports is the Friendly House in Los Angeles, California. It remains on their homepage and is expected to host a luncheon in October
Brand is also a supporter of the BAC O’Connor Center, which helps rehabilitate recovering addicts
The comedian’s Stay Free charity, which helps those struggling with addiction, is also donating money to the Treasure Foundation.
However, the foundation, which supports women suffering from substance abuse in East London, told Web it would not be cutting ties with the comedian at this time, adding that the women it supports were a priority.
It said that many of the people supported by the foundation had “experienced sexual trauma” and some had even “been perpetrators,” adding that part of the program also included practicing forgiveness.
A spokeswoman said: “At Treasures Foundation, we know Russell Brand only in his capacity to make amends and give back to women, hence his desire to give to our charity.”
“We are part of a program that practices forgiveness and restitution. Many of us have been through sexual trauma and some of us have been perpetrators.
“We need to take this time to process what is going on. We are speaking to the women we support and will provide them with feedback because, as always, the voice of the women we support is paramount.”
“We can’t form an opinion at this point about what has come out. “We just know him for the good he’s doing now.”
The comedian, who insisted the relationships I had during his “period of promiscuity were completely consensual”, also supports the BAC O’Connor Center in Staffordshire.
The organization helps rehabilitate people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
A video of Brand speaking openly about his own struggles with addiction in the past and explaining why those affected should choose the organization.
Web has contacted Trevi, the Friendly House and BAC O’Connor.
Just hours after the allegations first came to light, Brand took center stage in front of 2,000 people at Wembley Park Theater.
As he continued his tour, he told fans: “I really appreciate your support.” I love you.
“I have a lot to discuss with you. There are obviously some things I absolutely cannot talk about and I appreciate your understanding.”
Russell Brand’s full comments:
Hello, you awakening miracles. Now, this isn’t the usual type of video we do on this channel where we criticize, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption, because in this story I am the news.
I have received two extremely disturbing letters – or a letter and an email – one from a mainstream media television company, one from a newspaper detailing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid things like mine Community celebrations should be stopped and I should not be able to attack the mainstream media narrative on this channel.
But amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks, there are some very serious claims that I absolutely refute. These accusations relate to a time when I was in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.
During this time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were completely consensual. I was always transparent back then, almost too transparent, and I am the same now.
And seeing how that transparency has morphed into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me wonder if there is another agenda at play.
Especially when we’ve seen coordinated media attacks before, like Joe Rogan daring to take a drug that the mainstream media doesn’t approve of, and we saw a barrage of headlines from media outlets around the world saying the same thing language used.
I’m aware that you’ve been saying in the comments for some time: “Watch out Russell, they’re after you,” “You’re getting too close to the truth,” “Russell Brand didn’t kill himself.”
I know there was a flood of articles a year ago: Russell Brand is a conspiracy theorist; Russell Brand is the right wing.
I know that newspapers make phone calls and send letters to people I know. It has long been clear to me, or at least it seems to me, that there is a serious and concerted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kinds of voices.
I need my voice along with your voice. I don’t mind if they use my books and stand-up to talk about my past promiscuous sexual behavior. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations.
It is also worth noting that there are witnesses whose statements directly contradict the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently as part of what I believe is a coordinated attack.
Because the allegations are so serious, I don’t want to go into detail here, but I feel like I’m being attacked, and obviously they work very closely together.
We will of course look into this matter because it is very, very serious.
In the meantime, I want you to stay close to me, stay awake, but more importantly, if you can stay free.