UK prosecutors think they will charge Russell Brand with allegations of sexual abuse
British police are investigating comedian and actor Russell Brand more allegations of past sex crimes they gave prosecutors an evidence file so they could consider whether to charge him.
The Crown Prosecution Service said late Saturday that “a file has been passed by the police to consider a decision to charge in this case. Any decision to charge is made independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal assessment.”
Detectives from London's Metropolitan Police have interviewed 49-year-old Brand three times over alleged “non-recent sex offences.”
“Our investigation is ongoing and the file has been handed over to CPS,” said Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation. “We have a team of dedicated police officers who provide special assistance to women who have come forward. We are committed to investigating sex crimes, even if they are said to have happened a long time ago.”
In September 2023, British media outlets Channel 4 and the Sunday Times published claims about four women of being sexually assaulted or raped by Brand between 2006 and 2013, during his peak.
Another woman who accused Brand told CBS News of the BBC News network that she was working in the same building as the BBC's Los Angeles office when the incident happened. He said Brand continued to laugh about it after a while on his radio.
The accusers have not been identified.
The comedian, who is a writer and actor of “Get Him To The Greek” dismissed the allegations, saying that their relationship was “consensual all the time.”
Known for his wild and risqué stances, Brand has hosted radio and television shows, written a memoir chronicling his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.
In recent years, Brand has largely disappeared from the mainstream media but has built a following online with videos that mix wellness with conspiracy theories.
In an exclusive interview with “CBS Mornings” after the allegations were revealed, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan defended the platform's decision to stop monetizing a product channel, YouTube's creator responsibility guidelines policy is cited.
“If creators are behaving off the platform, or there are issues off the platform that could harm the broader ecosystem of creators, you can be stopped from our monetization process,” Mohan said. “It has affected many creators and many people in the field in the past. And that is what happened in this case in terms of serious allegations.”
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