Russell Brand: Second police force launches investigation into allegations
Thames Valley Police said it was contacted by a woman with new information in relation to reports of ‘harassment and stalking’
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A second police force has launched an investigation into allegations against Russell Brand.
Thames Valley Police said it was contacted by a woman two weeks ago with "new information" in relation to reports of "harassment and stalking" between 2018 and 2022.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed last week that it is investigating after receiving reports of a “number of allegations of sexual offences” in London as well as elsewhere in the country.
It follows a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
Brand has vehemently denied all allegations, insisting that his prior relationships have always been consensual.
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told The Independent: “Thames Valley Police in the past two weeks, received new information in relation to harassment and stalking allegations dating back to 2018. This information is being investigated; as such it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.”
The force said it will be offering specialist support to all of the women who have made allegations.
Its investigation is being carried out by detectives in the Met’s Central Specialist Crime Command, led by Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy.
Det Supt Furphy said: “We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us. We understand it can feel like a difficult step to take and I want to reassure that we have a team of specialist officers available to advise and support.”
In the wake of the media reports of allegations made against him, Brand thanked his supporters for “questioning” the accusations. In the three-minute clip, posted on YouTube, Rumble and Twitter/X, he said the week since the claims were published had been “extraordinary and distressing”.
There have been no arrests in either force’s investigations and enquiries continue.
Shortly after the Met issued its short statement last Monday, Brand made his first return to his regular Rumble show since the allegations were made against him. He said he would talk about the “collusion between big tech and Government and an apparent concerted effort by legacy media … to silence independent media voices”, adding: “Obviously, it’s difficult for me to be entirely objective given the events of the last week, but that’s what we must try to do.”
Brand has since continued to release his regular show on Rumble – an online video platform which refused to follow YouTube in blocking the comedian from earning advertising revenue on its site. He described the streaming site as having made a “clear commitment to free speech”.
The Independent has contacted Brand’s representatives for comment.