Following the accusations of rape and other sexual offenses against Russell Brand, the Metropolitan Police has issued a statement.
Brand, the 48-year-old comedian and actor, is at the center of disturbing allegations involving sexual assault and predatory behavior.
Last night, these accusations emerged during a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4's Dispatches. The allegations span the years between 2006 and 2013 when Brand was at the height of his fame working as a comedian and an actor in Hollywood.
Four women have come forward, claiming that they were victims of sexual misconduct at the hands of Brand.
The Metropolitan Police have since responded to these harrowing revelations. They released the following statement cited by the Mirror: "We are aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault.
"At this time, we have not received any reports in relation to this. If anyone believes they have been the victim of a sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, we would encourage them to contact police."
One of the accusers alleges that Brand raped her at his Los Angeles residence when she was in her 30s. Another shocking accusation comes from a woman the 48-year-old allegedly referred to as "The Child", who claims that Brand groomed her for sexual activities when she was just 16 years old, while he was 30.
Jordan Martin, an ex-girlfriend of Brand's who did not provide an account but recounted her relationship with the comedian in a self-published book described feeling "bullied and abused... in a mental way" during their six-month relationship, per Sky News.
In a video released to his substantial YouTube following, Brand categorically denied the allegations, asserting that all his relationships were consensual and transparent. Watch Brand's video below:
He began: "I've received two extremely disturbing letters or a letter and an email. One from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid stuff like my community festival should be stopped, that I shouldn't be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel."
Acknowledging that he had a "time of promiscuity", the comedian asserted that all of his previous relationships have been consensual.
Brand then considered if there were ulterior motives behind the claims. He questioned: "And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question, is there another agenda at play?"
He signed off by claiming that he was the victim of a targeted attack by the media, presumably due to his YouTube channel where he often questions the media's motives.
As per the report, Helen Berger, who served as Brand's assistant between 2006 and 2007, has claimed that he directed her to arrange encounters with women from the audiences of the shows he hosted.
She also disclosed that Brand frequently wore only underwear in her presence and displayed signs of an intense sexual addiction.
Meanwhile, a production runner working on the set of Big Brother's Efourum recounted an incident in which Brand exposed himself to her and insinuated inappropriate behavior.
She expressed shock at the encounter, opting not to report it out of fear of jeopardizing her job. Subsequently, she engaged in consensual sexual activity with Brand, who insisted on keeping it a secret.
The runner, reflecting on the experience, remarked that as an older woman, she felt manipulated into engaging in sexual activities. She asserted that production companies facilitated environments that allowed Brand to exploit his position.
Despite the shocking allegations, Brand took to the stage at Wembley Park Theatre stadium last night to play to a sold-out crowd.
