Met Police responds to Russell Brand claims – and urges sexual assault victims to contact pressure

The Metropolitan Police has responded to allegations towards Russell Brand, saying it encourages victims of sexual assault to contact the pressure.

Four girls have accused Brand of sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013 whereas the comic was on the peak of his fame, in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

He denies all of the allegations towards him.

A Met Police spokesperson stated: “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 anybody believes they’ve been the sufferer of a sexual assault, regardless of how way back it occurred, we’d encourage them to contact police.

“We spoke with The Sunday Times on Saturday 16 September. We will be making further approaches to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure that any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police.”

It comes as:

• Channel 4 and manufacturing firm Banijay UK have each launched investigations
• BBC stated it was “urgently looking into the issues raised”
• Brand carried out at a comedy present in London on Saturday night time
• Elon Musk and Andrew Tate had been amongst these showing to supply Brand help
• Charity Trevi Women has reduce ties with the comic
• The UK overseas secretary known as for faster responses to such claims
• A parliamentary committee stated it might “closely monitor” the problem
• Amnesty International stated the claims had been “shocking” but it surely acquired no complaints

The Met’s assertion got here after the BBC stated it was “urgently looking into the issues raised” about Brand – whereas Channel 4 and manufacturing firm Banijay UK have each launched investigations.

When requested if it might perform its personal probe, the BBC stated in a press release: “The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a number of years.

“Russell Brand labored on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we’re urgently wanting into the problems raised.”

Read extra:
The allegations against Russell Brand in full
From drug addict to controversial comedy star

Channel 4 stated in a press release: “We have asked the production company who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.

“Channel 4 can also be conducting its personal inner investigation, and we might encourage anybody who’s conscious of such behaviour to contact us straight.”

Banijay UK owns Endermol, which produced The Channel 4 show Big Brother and its spin-offs, on which Brand worked at the time of some of the claims.

It said in a statement: “In gentle of the very critical allegations referring to the alleged critical misconduct of Russell Brand whereas presenting exhibits produced by Endemol in 2004 and 2005, Banijay UK has launched an pressing inner investigation and can co-operate with any requests for data from broadcast companions and exterior companies.

“We also encourage anybody who feels that they were affected by Brand’s behaviour while working on these productions to contact us in confidence.”

The charity Trevi Women, which helps moms recovering from drug habit, additionally introduced on Saturday it was reducing ties with Brand.

Amnesty International described the allegations as “shocking” however stated no complaints or issues had been raised when Brand took half in its Secret Policeman’s Ball fund-raising gigs in 2006 and in 2012.

But it urged girls to come back ahead “if there is anything that they experienced at that time that is of concern.”

‘Certain issues I can not talk about’

Elon Musk, controversial influencer Andrew Tate and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson had been amongst these to react to the claims on social media this weekend, with posts showing to help the 48-year-old comedian.

A video by Brand through which he denied the claims was additionally shared on-line by TV star turned radio host, Kirsty Gallacher, who’s the older sister of Brand’s spouse Laura. She later deleted the publish.

Brand carried out at a comedy present in London on Saturday night after the allegations got here out, telling followers he cherished them however that there have been “certain things” he “could not discuss”.

The comic turned up in a black Mercedes 46 minutes late to the sold-out gig on the Troubadour Wembley Park theatre, which was because of begin at 7pm however didn’t start till simply after 8pm.

A video from inside confirmed him strolling out on stage smiling and being met with cheers earlier than telling the crowds: “Thank you, thank you, I love you.” The 48-year-old appeared to briefly handle the allegations made towards him earlier than he started his set.

Audience members instructed the PA news company Brand instructed them he hoped they’d “appreciate” there have been “certain things he could not discuss” throughout the present.

Brand has three extra dates for his Bipolarisation reside present tour, together with his subsequent a sell-out in Windsor, earlier than appearances in Plymouth and Wolverhampton.

‘I really feel like I’m being attacked’

Ahead of the publication of the claims, Brand, who has lately repositioned himself as a wellness guru and critic of the mainstream media, launched a video entitled “So, This is Happening” through which he described the claims as “a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks”.

Brand stated within the clip: “As I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

“I do not thoughts them utilizing my books and my stand-up to speak about my promiscuous consensual conduct prior to now. What I severely refute are these very, very critical prison allegations.”

He added: “Also, it is value mentioning that there are witnesses whose proof straight contradicts the narrative that these two mainstream media retailers are attempting to assemble, apparently, in what appears to me to be a coordinated assault.”

Signing off the video, he said: “Now, I do not wanna get into this any additional due to the intense nature of the allegations, however I really feel like I’m being attacked and plainly they’re working very carefully collectively.

“We are obviously going to look into this matter ’cause it’s very, very serious.”

Cleverly requires fast response to issues

Meanwhile, the UK’s overseas secretary, James Cleverly, spoke to Sky News in regards to the risks of “sharp differentials in power” following the allegations towards Brand.

He didn’t remark particularly on the allegations however instructed Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “We see that [sharp differentials in power] in the film industry, the entertainment industry and sadly, of course, we sit in the area that I work in terms of politics, where you have very, very significant power differentials, long working hours, people in that environment.”

Mr Cleverly added: “We need to make sure that we are going out of our way to protect the people that have less power than those around them. We need to respond to their concerns very, very quickly when they are highlighted.”

The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee chair, Dame Caroline Dinenage, additionally promised that MPs will “closely monitoring” the response to the allegations towards Brand.