Russell Brand sexual assault allegations: Comedians Daniel Sloss and Katherine Ryan back up victims
On 15 September 2023, comedian Russell Brand posted a video to his YouTube channel titled So, This Is Happening. In the video, which is just under three minutes, Brand states that a number of incredibly serious allegations have been made against him—all pertaining to former relationships he had when he was intertwined with the “mainstream media.” In it, the comedian refutes any accusations regarding non-consensual relationships and concludes his statement by declaring that a “coordinated attack” is being made on his character and implores his followers to “stay free” if they can, whatever that means.
24 hours later, it felt as though every single media outlet had devoted their online feeds solely to a string of serious sexual assault and rape allegations made against Brand. Channel 4’s investigative team Dispatches released a detailed documentary titled Russell Brand: In Plain Sight. British audiences were quite literally glued to their televisions and by the end of the 90 minutes, we were all asking ourselves a question that feels commonplace in this day and age: how did we miss this?
What are the allegations against Russell Brand?
According to Sky News, the allegations come from four women who’ve accused Brand of sexual assaults that occurred between 2006 and 2013—aka, the peak of his mainstream success.
The allegations include: grooming and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl (with Brand himself being 30 at the time), raping a businesswoman in Los Angeles, firing a woman who worked for him following a sexual assault, sexually assaulting an ex-girlfriend, and offering his assistant naked to Jimmy Savile.
The Channel 4 documentary also highlights the wider context of Brand’s pervasive misogyny and unacceptable conduct during his time as a highly successful comedian and actor—putting all of these puzzle pieces together and ultimately revealing Brand’s true character.
Brand has always had a sleazy reputation, anyone who grew up in the 2000s could tell you that. He might’ve tried to rebrand himself (no pun intended) in recent years, choosing to favour wellness retreats and truth-seeking as opposed to big-budget media parties and household glory, but we always knew he had a dark side.
Simply search ‘Russell Brand creepy’ on TikTok, and you’re immediately served with dozens of videos clearly exposing a man who not only has little to zero respect for women but whose public persona is etched in predatory and self-righteous behaviours:
@currentaffairmemes What do you think about this? Is #russellbrand guilty? #russellbranddispatches #dispatches #channel4dispatches #channel4 #russellbrandtiktok #exposed #breakingnews @Russell Brand @Channel 4 News @Channel 4.0 @Dispatches
♬ original sound - VIRAL CLIPS, NEWS & MEMES
@d_naturally From kisses to jokes about getting women pregnant, Russell Brand has always been a controversial character that many TV show hosts struggled to deal with during interviews. The comedian has collected several awkward on-camera moments, such as when he kissed 60 Minutes journalist Liz Hayes on the lips and tried to undo her bra during an interview in 2010. Other encounters include the time he mocked a TV presenter for the way she held a bottle, and when he touched the nipple of a HuffPost Live host. The 48-year-old is believed to be the subject of a Dispatches investigation tonight (16 September). He published a video on Friday denying “serious criminal allegations. #russellbrand #newsheadlines #viralnews #somethingtotalkabout #metoomovement #metoo #theindependent #justd
♬ original sound - Just D
Who is Daniel Sloss?
One of the most impactful moments from Russell Brand: In Plain Sight is when comedian Daniel Sloss makes a statement regarding his own interactions with Brand and the stories he’d heard from female comedians on the circuit. As stated in the documentary, Sloss was the only comedian willing to speak on the accusations on camera.
“He was a big name, big, big household name. If you were a comedian and got to gig with him you’d be gigging with a celebrity. I’m stood in bars with agents, promoters, channel commissioners and I’m hearing these allegations and rumours with Russell in the same room, and later on he would be on a movie, on a television show, he would be hosting something. He was still being employed,” Sloss stated.
The comedian continued: “I know for many, many years that women have been warning each other about Russell. I know there are comedians who have made references in jokes to Russell’s alleged crimes and have either been asked or told not to do those jokes anymore.”
The response to his involvement in the documentary was overwhelmingly positive, with a number of women sharing their appreciation for his statements.
@eleanorconway The most surprising thing about the Russell Brand documentary isn’t Russell Brand… #russellbrand #danielsloss
♬ original sound - Eleanor Conway
The Scottish comedian has spoken up about sexual assault in the past. During one of his comedy specials in 2019, Sloss spoke about a female friend of his who was raped by his male friend: “I knew this man for eight years and he f*cking did it. There are monsters amongst us and they look like us. Don’t make the same mistake that I did for years, which was just sitting back and being like, ‘Well, I’m not part of the problem, therefore I must be part of the solution’ because that’s just not how this f*cking sh*t works.”
@screenshothq This clip from Daniel Sloss’ ‘X’ special has resurfaced and is going viral following Daniel’s involvement with the investigation in Russell Brand. Daniel Sloss was the only willing comedian to speak on Russell Brand’s sexual allegations, without anonymity, to Channel 4 for their ‘Dispatches’ special. British comedian Russell Brand has been investigated on claims on rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse occurring between 2006 and 2013. These allegations were made by four women, whilst he worked as a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and on a Channel 4 Big Brother spin-off. #danielsloss #russellbrand #channel4 #dispatches
♬ This Is Not Phonk - Bgnzinho
He continued: “Instead of having this hero complex and being like ‘I’m going to beat up a rapist’—f*cking prevent one, stop one. I know it can be done because I know how I f*cking failed at it. Because if I’m being 100 per cent honest with myself, were there signs in my friend’s behaviour over the years towards women that I ignored? The answer is yes, and then he raped my friend, and that’s on me until the day I die.”
Who else has spoken out against Russell Brand?
Lots of people have insinuated that female comedian Katherine Ryan has previously spoken about Brand in relation to sexual assault allegations. The most prominent piece of evidence is a clip from a Louis Theroux documentary wherein the pair discuss predators within the industry:
@koronto.d.legend Everyone is sure she is talking about Russell Brand, guess we’ll find out on Dispatches tonight. #dispatches #channel4 #russellbrand #allegations #katherineryan #louistheroux #sa #predator #inplainsight #russellbrandinplainsight
♬ original sound - Koronto
@user8474749473837494747 Russell Brand Reveals Katherine Ryan Truth #russellbrand
♬ original sound - user584749374957493746
While Ryan has never confirmed whether or not she was speaking about Brand, it’s quite obvious from the clips that that is who she’s referring to.
Has Katy Perry commented on the Russell Brand allegations?
Following the assault allegations, a number of netizens have also been looking back on Brand’s relationship with his former wife Katy Perry. A lot of you will probably remember the iconic clip of Perry visibly breaking down after Brand requested a divorce over text moments before she was due to go on stage to perform… Yep, that’s the kind of person he is.
@itsshannonburns this clip gives me strength #katyperry #russellbrand
♬ original sound - Shannon Burns
While Perry hasn’t made any comments regarding the recent accusations, she did once claim to know the “real truth” about Brand. In a 2013 Vogue interview, the singer noted: “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.”
Brand is staying resolute in his denial of the accusations, and, rather astonishingly, the comic received a standing ovation during his Saturday night gig—the same night that the documentary aired. Clearly, the entire room was filled to the brim with boomers.
