Russell Brand’s father jumps to his defence over ‘unproven’ sexual assault allegations
Ron Brand called the allegations a “vendetta” against his son
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Russell Brand’s father has defended him against claims that he sexually abused four women during the height of his fame and labelled it a “vendetta”.
Ron Brand, 80, took to Facebook after the allegations against his comedian son were published over the weekend.
“Is this seriously the most important thing happening in this world?” he asked. “Immigrants? Cost of living? 10s of thousands killed in Ukraine? Who is prioritising at BBC News. Who is really driving this vendetta?”
“With many struggling to pay bills. The unproven accusations of 15 years ago take lead on BBC News?”.
While the BBC is investigating the allegations against Brand, they were revealed after a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches and not the broadcaster his father has criticised.
Between 2006 and 2013, Brand is accused of raping a woman at his Los Angeles home, sexually assaulting another woman and conducting an abusive relationship with a 16-year-old schoolgirl.
It was alleged that his behaviour was an “open secret” among industry professionals, and production staff working on Channel 4’s Big Brother’s Big Mouth felt like “pimps” working for the presenter.
The 48-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him and has said his relationships were “absolutely always consensual”.
In his 2007 autobiography My Booky Wook, Brand speaks openly about his sex addiction and his first sexual encounters which he experienced on a holiday with his father.
He talked about watching pornographic videos at his father’s house while he was in primary school, before the two travelled to Hong Kong together while Brand was aged 17 and slept with prostitutes.
He wrote that his father hired three sex workers to go back to their hotel, and that he lost his virginity to one while his father slept with the two others in a neighbouring bed.
The actor added that “during the rest of that holiday I f****d loads more prostitutes and never wore a condom… it had hardened me… my sexuality had morphed for ever from bewildered innocence into something more complex and rapacious.”
Since the allegations of Brand’s behaviour were published on Saturday, an editor for The Times said that several more women have come forward with claims about the presenter.
The latest allegations, which the newspaper have not investigated, will now be “rigorously checked”.
Both the BBC and Channel 4 have announced urgent internal investigations into Brand’s behaviour while working as a presenter for their organisations.