Russell Brand suggested to a 15-year-old that she should have a sex-themed birthday party on his BBC radio show, The Russell Brand Show, in 2007.Photo:Slaven Vlasic/Getty
Slaven Vlasic/Getty
WARNING: Contains graphic details of alleged sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.
Russell Brandsuggested to a 15-year-old that she should have a sex-themed birthday party in a resurfaced clip from his BBC radio show,The Russell Brand Show.
In the 2007 audio clip, Brand, 48, takes a caller who is looking for ideas for her 16th birthday party.
“I suppose you’re 16, you can’t really drink booze yet, or any drugs because that’s illegal,” the comedian says in the resurfaced clip.
“Now, you will be legally allowed to have sexual partners,” he continues, as the caller laughs. “Now, I think you should theme the party around legal sex.” (In the U.K. the age of consent is 16.)
Later in the exchange, he suggests she should have a vampire-themed party or masked ball, which he goes on to say is, “in its way, erotic, but in a suppressed, suitable way for a 16-year-old girl.”
“That’s the policy I use for women,” the host says in the clip. “Hello, there’s a woman. Let’s not get bogged down in things like age, race or whether or not they’re awake. Just get over there, and give them the night of their lives.”
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One woman accused Brand of raping her against a wall in his Los Angeles home in 2012, while a former colleague alleged Brand — who has been married toLaura Gallachersince 2017 — sexually assaulted her in 2013. One of the women also claimed she was 16 and still at school while Brand was 31 at the time he allegedly assaulted her in London in 2006.
Russell Brand in 2017.Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Brand denied the allegations in avideoshared on social media on Friday, saying that he “absolutely refutes” the claims and describing them as “extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.”
On Monday,The Timesreported that “several women” had contacted the publicationsince it published the initial reporting.
“The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a number of years,” the BBC spokesperson added. “Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the issues raised.”
On Tuesday, Brandbecame the subject of a new allegation of sexual assault. The Metropolitan Police said the alleged attack took place in London in 2003 and they are in contact with the woman concerned.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
