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Police in London have received a report of an alleged sexual assault in the wake of media reporting of allegations against Russell Brand, Scotland Yard has said.
The 48-year-old comedian and actor has been accused of rape, assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame working for the BBC, Channel 4 and starring in Hollywood films. He denies the allegations.
The police service for the greater London area said on Monday it had now received an allegation of sexual assault in Soho, central London, in 2003. It added that as yet no investigation had been launched.
This appears to be a fresh allegation, as the claims reported by Channel 4, the Times and the Sunday Times against Brand were based on accounts from several women relating to incidents said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.
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In a short statement, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said: “We are aware of reporting by the Sunday Times and Channel 4′s Dispatches about allegations of sexual offences.
“On Sunday 17 September, the Met received a report of a sexual assault, which was alleged to have taken place in Soho in central London in 2003. Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support.
“We first spoke with the Sunday Times on Saturday 16 September and have since made further approaches to the Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure that anyone who believes they have been the victim of a sexual offence is aware of how to report this to the police.
“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.”
The allegations in the Times, the Sunday Times and Channel 4′s Dispatches include claims Brand assaulted one of the women when she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl, while another woman has claimed he raped her in his home in Los Angeles. The Sunday Times published texts to her – from a phone number that they said multiple sources verified as belonging to Brand – in which he said: “I’m sorry. That was crazy and selfish.”
A third woman says she was assaulted in the same house the following year after having worked with Brand on a project.
Before the first allegations were published, Brand posted a video online on Friday saying he has been “promiscuous” but that all of his relationships have been “consensual”.
The BBC, Channel 4 and Banijay UK, which bought Endemol – the company commissioned by Channel 4 to produce the Big Brother spin-off shows Brand hosted – have all launched investigations into his behaviour while he was working on their programmes. The BBC is facing questions after the woman who was 16 when she claims Brand began a relationship with her alleged that he used the corporation’s car service to pick her up from school to take her to his home.
Brand’s publisher, Bluebird, said that “all future publishing” with the comedian had been paused. The imprint of Pan Macmillan has published the comedian’s titles including Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions and Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped in recent years.
A planned title, Recovery: the Workbook, by the comedian was due to be published by Bluebird in December 2025, according to the company’s website.
Meanwhile, the remaining shows on Brand’s Bipolarisation tour have been postponed. A statement from the promoters said: “We are postponing these few remaining addiction charity fundraiser shows, we don’t like doing it – but we know you’ll understand.” – Guardian