Topline
Two more people have come forward to complain about the behavior of comedian and actor Russell Brand, the BBC said Tuesday, bringing the total number of complaints made to the British broadcaster to five as authorities continue to investigate claims of rape, sexual assault and inappropriate workplace behavior—all of which Brand has denied.
Key Facts
The BBC on Tuesday said two new people have raised concerns to the organization since a September investigation by multiple British news outlets broke open years of alleged misconduct.
The broadcaster said the two new complaints “relate to his workplace conduct, and are not of a serious sexual nature.”
The other three complaints were made before the September investigation and relate to his behavior while on BBC property and during his time working as a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.
The BBC has been reviewing complaints against Brand, his behavior while working for the broadcaster, whether any managers knew about any allegations against him and what action they took since a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, Times and Channel 4 revealed a series of rape and sexual assaults alleged to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.
The joint investigation also leveled allegations he behaved inappropriately toward women in the workplace, including claims he had teenage girls driven to his home by BBC cars, and one woman said he unwelcomingly exposed himself to her and then laughed about it minutes later on his BBC radio show.
Peter Johnston, the BBC’s director of editorial complaints and reviews, is conducting the organization’s review into Brand and told the BBC news division it is “not a straightforward task” but that, as of now, it appears “no disciplinary action was taken” against Brand despite the complaints.
Representatives for Brand did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment Tuesday, but Brand has strongly denied the allegations against him.
Key Background
Four women accused Brand, 48, of sexual misconduct in the Times investigation, which the outlets said they only published after conversations with hundreds of sources and the collection of “substantial information to corroborate their allegations.” Sources told the papers Brand has had a longstanding reputation for abusive behavior against women and one of several fellow comedians interviewed, Daniel Sloss, said women had been “warning each other about Russell” for years before the investigation began. The accusations included a claim that Brand raped a woman against a wall in his Los Angeles home in July 2012 before she immediately sought treatment at a rape crisis center. The Metropolitan Police in London launched an investigation following the Times report after it said it received a “number of allegations of sexual offenses.” A week later, Thames Valley Police—which polices several counties west of London—said it, too, was opening an investigation based on allegations that took place in its jurisdiction. In the days following the investigation, Brand was dropped by London-based talent agency Tavistock Wood, Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird decided to “pause all future publishing” with Brand, YouTube blocked him from making money on his 6.6-million-follower channel and his comedy shows in the U.K. and Australia were canceled.
Contra
Brand posted a video on his YouTube channel before the report was released calling the investigation a “coordinated attack” and denying the incidents ever occurred. He said he was open about his “very very promiscuous” lifestyle at the height of his fame, but that his relationships were “absolutely, always consensual.” Brand’s father, who the comedian has said sparked his sex addiction by paying for him to lose his virginity to a sex worker, said the media has a “vendetta” against his son. A week after the allegations became public, Brand posted another video thanking fans for their “support” and for “questioning the information you’ve been presented with.” He went back to posting his regular content—commentary on current events—soon after.