Russell Brand admitted that sex was one of his main motivations for seeking fame days after being accused of rape and sexual assault.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Brand, 49, opened up about why he “bothered to become famous” in the first place, though he continues to deny any non-consensual sexual encounters.
“It’s hard not to think that, in fact, those participating in this are victims of some kind, but not of me, because I’ve always been open,” he said in a video posted Monday on Rumble. “You can go see my stand-up comedy. You can read my book. I couldn’t have been more clear that I was out there having sex with whoever I wanted.”
“And let me tell you, when you’re famous, people are willing to participate,” Brand explained. “People are willing to participate! I have to be honest. That’s part of the reason I bothered to become famous, because I thought it would be a glorious opportunity for a hedonistic adventure. Surely then my life will have meaning. Surely I can find something of value in the comfort of strangers. Surely I can lose myself in endless pleasure.”
Russell Brand spoke about his motivations for seeking fame days after being accused of sexual assault. (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Since becoming a follower of Christ, Brand said he can “recognize that sex is a very powerful force.” The “Arthur” star, who has been sober from drugs and alcohol for the past 22 and a half years, explained that he has “learned a lot” and is “grateful for the opportunity to speak the truth, to engage in a process of reconciliation and healing.”
Brand mentioned that the alleged incidents occurred before he became a household name in 2005, before his marriage to Katy Perry and before the #MeToo movement. In the video, the comedian appeared to question why the allegations weren’t revealed then, stating that the timing was “quite extraordinary.”
He went on to discuss how the accusations arose after the actor put himself “on the deep state’s radar” after speaking openly about “corruption in the era of coronavirus… how companies like Pfizer and Moderna made record profits… how we need to have an open debate about the causes of war, whether it’s the Middle East wars or the wars between Russia and Ukraine.”
Brand also explained that he doesn’t “believe in that statute of limitation stuff.”
“I think if someone committed a crime 20 years ago, 30 years ago… if a crime was committed, the person should be held accountable. Justice. I believe in justice. I believe in integrity. I believe in truth. Why? Because I believe in God. I believe that we’re here to love one another.”
Russell Brand has continuously denied allegations of nonconsensual sexual encounters. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Brand was hit with five counts of rape and sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police on Friday. The charges included one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault, according to a press release.
The alleged incidents, which took place between 1999 and 2005, were reported by four different women. Brand denied the accusations in a video shared to X on Friday.
According to Brand, he “was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
“Of course, I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that,” he added.
Laura Gallacher and Russell Brand married in 2017. (Getty Images )
While Brand did experience a period of promiscuity, which he has frequently been open about, he has been married to wife Laura Gallacher since 2017. The couple share three children.
He was also married to pop star Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012.
Russell Brand was also married to Katy Perry for two years before the former couple divorced in 2012. (Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
Detectives began investigating claims against Brand after multiple women came forward in 2023. The allegations were made public by U.K. media outlets Channel 4 and The Sunday Times.
At the time, the women accused Brand of physical and emotional abuse and bullying, as well as some instances of sexual assault in anonymous complaints.
Brand denied the accusations, stating his relationships were “always consensual.” The “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” star revealed he had been contacted by the media outlets about the allegations before they were made public. “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,” he said at the time.
El comediante Russell Brand habló sobre las acusaciones y cargos en su contra en un video publicado el lunes en Rumble. (Lester Cohen/Getty Images para The Recording Academy)
Brand dijo que los encuentros, que según él ocurrieron durante una “época de promiscuidad”, fueron “siempre consensuados”.
Siempre fui transparente al respecto entonces, casi demasiado transparente, y lo soy también ahora. Ver esa transparencia transformada en algo criminal, que niego rotundamente, me hace preguntarme: ¿Hay otra intención en juego?
