In a bombshell investigation, comedian and actor Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse. Four women spoke up publicly about the alleged sexual assault, and people are now wondering if ex-wife Katy Perry was aware of the allegations and kept them secret.
Yesterday, British news outlets the Sunday Times, the Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches released a joint exclusive investigation into the sexual assault allegations that happened during the height of Brand’s fame (from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s), sparking renewed conversation and controversy around the comedian.
Of the four women, one was just 16 at the time of the alleged incident, while Brand was 31.
The women said they were partially motivated to speak up about Brand’s harm and alleged history of sexual and emotional violence because they’ve seen the actor, whose fame died down in the mid-2010s, rise to prominence again—this time as an alt-right podcaster spreading COVID-19 misinformation and political conspiracy theories.
Prior to the articles being published, Brand posted a video denying the allegations, stating that they were allegedly all consensual.
“During that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well,” Brand said in the video statement.
For those unfamiliar with Brand, he became famous for his outrageous, risque behaviors and controversial views. He rose to fame as a standup comedian in Britain in the early 2000s, before hosting various shows on Channel 4 and BBC Radio and appearing in Hollywood films.
Brand married pop star Katy Perry in 2010, and the pair divorced just 14 months later. Brand reportedly broke things off with Perry in a text message.
According to the Daily Mail, some of the alleged assaults, including the rape and sexual assault of the minor, happened shortly after the pair’s split.
While Perry has yet to make a public statement regarding the serious allegations against her ex-husband, speculation is now swirling about how much knowledge Perry had of Brand’s alleged history of sexual assault.
This is due to a resurfaced quote from a 2013 Vogue interview in which she references keeping Brand’s “real truth” hidden.
“I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending, but then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day. I let go and I was like: This isn’t because of me; this is beyond me. So I have moved on from that,” Perry told Vogue then.
In that same interview, the singer said that while she loved Brand when she was married to him, until that point, they had not kept in touch until that point.
“Let’s just say I haven’t heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011,” Perry said.
The pair’s split was partially documented in Perry’s documentary Part of Me, in which she’s seen composing herself before going on stage after breaking down in tears because of an argument with Brand.
The Daily Dot reached out to Brand via email and Perry via Instagram DM.
