‘I’m very hurt’ – Russell Brand denies allegations of ‘appalling crimes’
Since the documentary aired, complainants have come forward to the BBC and the Metropolitan Police.
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Your support makes all the difference.Russell Brand has denied all allegations against him in a new interview saying the accusations have been “very, very hurtful”.
In September, the 48-year-old comedian and actor was accused of rape, assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013 during a joint investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches and The Times and The Sunday Times.
Since the documentary aired, complainants have come forward to the BBC and the Metropolitan Police.
Brand, who was in comedy films Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek and Arthur, was interviewed by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in a YouTube video on Wednesday and was asked about the impact of the allegations.
The star of Hollywood movies replied saying: “My son was born with a heart condition and while this (the documentary airing) was happening he was undergoing heart surgery, he was 12 weeks old and I suppose what that did, Tucker, is it revealed that what we were experiencing was a public concoction.
“I’m aware that I put myself in an extremely vulnerable position by being very, very promiscuous, (but) that is not the type of conduct I endorse and it’s certainly not how I would live now.”
He added that he is mentioning his son as the documentary made him aware of what is “important in life”.
Brand called it “hurtful” to be accused of “what I consider to be the most appalling crimes… this is very, very painful and very, very hurtful”.
He added: “Of course, I deny any allegations of the kind that have been advanced and what I have seen is the significance of family and the importance of beliefs that are transcendent of this.”
Elsewhere, Brand said when he had been a “denizen” of the entertainment world, he was “fostered and adored and celebrated and lived the kind of lifestyle that was kind of common for people in that arena, for single people, and in my case drug and alcohol people… certainly with an appetite for a promiscuous lifestyle”.
“When I was part of it, I found it empty and fulfilling,” Brand added.
The allegations have also included controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, which he denies.
In November, the BBC and Channel 4 provided updates on their internal investigations into Brand as he had worked at 6 Music and BBC Radio 2 from 2006 to 2008.
He had also been involved in Big Brother spin-off shows Big Brother’s Efourum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth, between 2006 and 2013, along with other shows commissioned on Channel 4.
In November, Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon said the internal investigation was weeks away from completion.
That same month, the BBC said that there had been complaints made to the corporation about Brand’s time working there.