Russell Brand
| Russell Brand | |
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Brand in 2025 | |
| Birth name | Russell Edward Brand[1] |
| Born | 4 June 1975[2] Grays, Essex, England |
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| Alma mater |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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| Spouse |
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| Children | 3 |
| Signature | |
| Website | russellbrand |
YouTube information | |
| Channels | |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Genre(s) | Talk, politics |
| Subscribers | 6.83 million (March 2025) |
Last updated: 22 July 2023 | |
Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, podcaster and media personality. He established himself as a stand-up comedian and radio host before becoming a film actor. After beginning his career as a comedian and later becoming an MTV presenter in the UK, in 2004 Brand gained a role as the host of the television show Big Brother's Big Mouth, a Big Brother spin-off. He had his first major film role in British comedy St Trinian's (2007) before starring in the Hollywood comedies Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010), Arthur (2011), and Rock of Ages (2012). He has released several stand-up specials, including Scandalous (2009), Messiah Complex (2013), and Brandemic (2023). He hosted his own radio show The Russell Brand Show (2006–2008, 2010, 2013, 2017) and also hosts the podcasts Stay Free with Russell Brand and Under the Skin with Russell Brand. He has received three British Comedy Awards and a nomination for a BAFTA Award.
Over the course of his career, Brand has been the subject of frequent media coverage for issues such as his promiscuity, drug use, political views, provocative behaviour at various award ceremonies, his dismissal from MTV, and his resignation from the BBC amid a prank call controversy. Since guest-editing an edition of British political weekly New Statesman in 2013,[3] Brand has become known as a public activist and campaigner, and has spoken on a wide range of political and cultural issues, including wealth inequality, addiction, corporate capitalism, climate change, and media bias. In 2014, he launched his political-comedy web series The Trews on YouTube, released a book entitled Revolution, and acted in the documentary The Emperor's New Clothes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brand's YouTube channel underwent an increase in activity and change in political direction, and was accused of promoting COVID denialism and conspiracy theories.[4]
In September 2023, following a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4's documentary series Dispatches, five women publicly accused Brand of sexual assault and sexual and emotional abuse.[5] The allegations concern incidents between 2006 and 2013 and were featured in the episode Russell Brand: In Plain Sight. Later, another allegation was made to the Metropolitan Police of a sexual assault in 2003.[6] Brand has denied all of the allegations[7] and promoted conspiracy theories regarding them.[8][9][10] He has since been charged with multiple counts of rape, oral rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault. Following the charges, three more allegations of sexual violence were made to the Metropolitan Police.[11] In addition, on 7 April 2025, news outlets reported Brand to be the subject of a civil action case filed in New York state, accusing him of sexual assault whilst intoxicated during the filming of Arthur in 2010. The case also names Warner Bros. Discovery and others.[12]
- ^ Barratt, Nick (24 March 2007). "Family Detective: Russell Brand". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2007.
- ^ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1209/1210. 1 June 2012. p. 35.
- ^ "In this week's New Statesman: Russell Brand guest edit". New Statesman. 25 October 2013. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
conspiracy theorieswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Russell Brand's management agency terminates ties to him following sexual assault allegations". NBC News. 17 September 2023. Archived from the original on 17 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ^ "Russell Brand accused of sexual assault by four women". BBC News. 16 September 2023. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ McIntosh, Steven (17 September 2023). "Russell Brand accused of rape and sexual assault". BBC News. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Murray, Jessica (17 September 2023). "Conspiracy theories swirl around Russell Brand allegations". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024.
After allegations of sexual assault and rape against the comedian Russell Brand were published, some were quick to take up conspiracy theories about why they had been published. Brand set the wheels in motion when he published a video in which he rebutted the allegations the night before they were aired and claimed they were linked to an attack on his freedom of speech.
- ^ Badshah, Nadeem (22 September 2023). "Russell Brand posts new video claiming government wants to censor him". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023.
Russell Brand has posted a new video online describing the allegations of rape and sexual assault against him in the past week as 'extraordinary and distressing' while accusing the government of seeking to censor him. The 48-year-old comedian and actor thanked his supporters for 'questioning the information you are being presented with', in his first public comments since the allegations were published.
- ^ Tenbarge, Kat (19 September 2023). "Conspiracy theories about Russell Brand sexual assault allegations go viral with help from Musk". NBC News. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024.
When comedian-turned-conservative-influencer Russell Brand preemptively denied sexual assault allegations on Friday, he flicked at a conspiracy theory that quickly found traction among his supporters and other far-right voices: That the media had ulterior motives for publishing the stories about him. 'Is there another agenda at play?' he asked in his pre-emptive video response to the investigation published Saturday by The Times and Channel 4, which documented four sexual assault allegations brought against him.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:12was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Russell Brand fears US prosecution over sexual assault claims". The Independent. 8 April 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.