In a shocking turn of events, British comedian and social influencer Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and abuse by four women who claim to have known him over a span of seven years during the peak of his fame. The allegations were brought to light by three prominent British news organizations - The Sunday Times, The Times of London, and Channel 4's "Dispatches." According to the reports, one woman alleges that she was raped by Brand, while the other three accuse him of sexual assault. Additionally, one of the women claims that Brand was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

Brand, however, vehemently denies all the allegations made against him and insists that all his relationships have always been consensual. In a video posted online before the stories broke, Brand condemned the accusations outlined in two "extremely disturbing letters" he received from a mainstream media television company and a newspaper. Although he refrained from naming the organizations involved, he expressed his disbelief and questioned whether there was an ulterior motive behind the coordinated attack on his reputation.

The comedian also suggested that the timing of the allegations might be linked to his recent transformation into a political commentator and influencer, where he has expressed skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and interviewed controversial figures like Joe Rogan. Brand believes that these newly surfaced allegations are an attempt to silence his alternative views and discredit him in the public eye.

Russell Brand rose to fame initially as a stand-up comic in Britain during the early 2000s. His success led to prominent roles on Channel 4 and later BBC Radio, where he capitalized on his reputation for outrageous behavior and risque banter. Brand then made a successful transition to Hollywood, appearing in movies such as "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" in 2008 and the 2011 remake of "Arthur." Notably, he was married to American pop star Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012.

In recent years, Brand has undergone a significant transformation, becoming a political commentator and influencer who posts YouTube videos covering topics such as personal freedom and the COVID-19 pandemic. His expansion into the anti-mainstream space, including the growth of his podcast "Stay Free with Russell Brand," has garnered attention and attracted a dedicated following. However, Brand now believes that this shift in his career may have made him a target for those seeking to suppress his alternative voice.

While the allegations against Brand have not been independently verified by NBC, he has raised doubts about the credibility of The Sunday Times, The Times of London, and Channel 4. He alleges that these news outlets have worked closely together in a coordinated attack against him. Brand even claims to have witnesses whose testimony contradicts the narratives being constructed by the media organizations but does not disclose their identities in his video statement.

The severity of the accusations has prompted Channel 4, The Times, and The Sunday Times to air a special program titled "Russell Brand: In Plain Sight." The show features interviews with five women who allege that Brand raped, sexually assaulted, or abused them. Notably, one woman divulges that she had a three-month relationship with Brand when she was 16 years old, the age of consent in the United Kingdom. However, she claims that Brand groomed and raped her during this time. The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, spoke to The Times about her experiences, stating that Brand engaged in the manipulative behaviors typical of a groomer.

As this scandal continues to unfold, Brand's lawyer has declined to comment on the allegations. However, the comedian remains resolute in his denial of any wrongdoing. "We are obviously going to look into this matter because it's very, very serious," Brand said in his video response. He concluded by urging his followers to stay attentive and independent in their thinking, emphasizing the importance of freedom.

The gravity of these allegations against Russell Brand is sure to have far-reaching consequences, not only for his personal reputation but also for the wider entertainment industry. As the investigation progresses, the truth behind these claims will undoubtedly come to light, leaving an indelible mark on the comedian's career.

Russell Brand appeared on stage Satruday for the first time since he was accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by multiple women.

The 48-year-old comedian, actor and social influencer performed at a sold-out stand-up show at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in northwest London as part of his Bipolarisation tour.

After arriving late due to traffic, Brand thanked his fans for showing up and said there were certain topics he couldn't discuss, alluding to the allegations, BBC News reported.

"I really appreciate your support, I love you, and I want to do a fantastic show for you," he told the crowd of 2,000 people. "I've got a lot of things to talk to you about. There are obviously some things that I absolutely cannot talk about, and I appreciate that you will understand."

His appearance came hours after three British news organizations reported that Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse based on allegations from four women who knew him for over seven years at the height of his fame.

The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's “Dispatches” said that one woman alleged she had been raped and three others accused him of sexual assault. One of the women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive.

Before the stories were published, Brand denied the allegations and said that all of his relationships have been consensual.

"Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I refute," Brand said in a statement. "These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream when I was in the newspapers all the time when I was in the movies, and, as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous."

"Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual," he added. "I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well."

Brand also suggested that the reports were part of a coordinated attack designed to discredit him because of his views. Brand has been criticized for expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and interviewing contentious podcasters like Joe Rogan.

On Sunday, the BBC, Channel 4 and a production firm said they would be investigating the allegations that took place during Brand's time as a presenter on BBC Radio's 6 Music and Radio 2, and as a host for shows on Channel 4.

The BBC said it was "urgently looking into the issues raised," and Channel 4 announced an internal investigation.

While none of the alleged assaults were said to have taken place on BBC or Channel 4 premises, there have been multiple claims about Brand's workplace behavior, the BBC reported.

London's Metropolitan Police on Sunday said it was aware of news reports about a series of sexual assault allegations but had not directly received any reports relating to the allegations.

"If anyone believes they have been the victim of a sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, we would encourage them to contact police," Metropolitan Police communications officer Callum Jones said, adding that the department was in touch with the Sunday Times and Channel 4.

Also on Sunday, the talent agency Tavistock Wood said it had terminated all ties with Brand.

"Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him," the agency said in a statement.

Brand rose to fame as a stand-up comic in Britain in the early 2000s, earning starring roles on Channel 4 and BBC Radio, where he capitalized on his reputation for outrageous behavior and risque banter.

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The women said that they only felt ready to tell their stories after being approached by reporters, with some citing Brand's newfound prominence as an online wellness influencer as a factor in their decision to speak.

 ..... He didn't identify the news organizations by name.

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"To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question is there another agenda at play," Brand said.

 ..... Brand was married to U.S. pop star Katy Perry from 2010-2012.

In recent years, he transformed himself into a political commentator and influencer posting YouTube videos on subjects such as personal freedom and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The comedian Russell Brand denied "serious criminal allegations" against him in a video he posted shortly before three British news organizations published an investigation Saturday in which four women accused him of sexual assault.

The investigation was a collaboration by The Sunday Times and The Times of London newspapers, and Channel 4 Dispatches, a television program that broadcast a documentary about the allegations on Saturday. They reported that the women had accused him of sexual assault in a series of incidents between 2006 and 2013.

Mr. Brand, an actor and former TV host who has more recently built a significant following on his YouTube channel, where he often opines on wellness and interviews prominent conservative figures, released a short video on social media on Friday in which he said he had received notes from media organizations listing "a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks."

 ..... Brand said in the video, going on to say that while he has spoken previously about a "time of promiscuity" in his life, the encounters during that time were "always consensual."

His literary agency, Tavistock Wood, announced this weekend that it had cut ties with him, saying in a statement that it believed it had been "horribly misled" by him when he denied an allegation in 2020.

The allegations were published as the comedian, 48, was on a short stand-up tour. At a show in northwest London on Saturday night, he opened the evening with an oblique reference to the accusations.

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In the investigation, one woman accused Mr. Brand of raping her against a wall in his Los Angeles home in 2012. The news organizations said that the woman had provided medical records confirming that she had been treated at a rape crisis center. Another woman accused him of forcing her to perform oral sex on him when she was 16, despite her pushing him away.

In his video, Mr. Brand did not address the specifics of the accusations by the four women, three of whom were not identified in the reports. He said there were "witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives" that had been put forward to him by the news organizations, but according to the article, a lawyer for Mr. Brand did not respond to an inquiry about providing such evidence, nor did a legal representative respond to a request for comment on the specific allegations.

Known for raunchy, boundary-pushing humor that has gotten him in trouble at times, Mr. Brand's fame grew in Britain in the 2000s with a one-man show about his heroin addiction, and then as a BBC radio and Channel 4 television host. He broke into American pop culture with a prominent role in the rom-com "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" in 2008 and a remake of “Arthur” in 2011, and was briefly married to the pop star Katy Perry.

Now, Mr. Brand's commentary on his YouTube channel, which has 6.6 million followers, tends to revolve around health, spirituality, so-called woke culture and free speech, and his guests have included Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Tucker Carlson and the conservative commentator Candace Owens. In his video on Friday, he accused the "mainstream media" of launching what he called a "coordinated attack" against him. Elon Musk responded to Mr. Brand's post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, writing : "Of course. They don't like competition."

Mr. Brand has spoken about and written extensively about battling addictions to drugs, alcohol and sex, writing in his memoir that he was treated for a sex addiction in 2005.

Alex Marshall contributed reporting from London.

Russell Brand postponed the remaining dates of a comedy tour on Monday, two days after British news organizations published an investigation in which several women accused him of sexual assault.

Mr. Brand was scheduled to perform two shows as part of his “Bipolarisation” tour of Britain this week.

But in a statement provided on Monday by the Theater Royal Windsor, which was set to host Mr. Brand on Tuesday, the comedian's promoters said the tour's remaining dates would not go ahead. "We don't like doing it," the statement added, "but we know you'll understand."

On Friday, Mr. Brand denied what he called "serious criminal allegations" against him in a video posted to his YouTube channel. That statement was released shortly before three British news organizations published an investigation in which four women accused him of sexual assault, including one accusation of rape.

 ..... Brand said in the video, adding that past sexual encounters had been "always consensual."

Since two newspapers, The Times of London and The Sunday Times of London, and Dispatches, a television program, published their joint investigation, several organizations associated with Mr. Brand have distanced themselves from the comedian and actor who had prominent roles in the 2008 rom-com "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and a 2011 remake of the movie "Arthur."

On Monday, The Bookseller, a British trade magazine for the publishing industry, reported that Mr. Brand's publisher, Bluebird, was pausing its work with the comedian. Bluebird had been scheduled to publish "Recovery: The Workbook," a guide to overcoming addictions, on Dec. 28. Bluebird did not respond to a request for comment.

Later on Monday, London's police force said in a statement that it had "received a report of a sexual assault which was alleged to have taken place in Soho in central London in 2003."

British police forces never confirm the identity of an individual subject to a complaint, but the statement was issued in response to inquiries about the journalistic investigation into Mr. Brand.

Mr. Brand has yet to respond to that latest allegation. At midday E.D.T. on Monday, the comedian was scheduled to host a live broadcast on Rumble, a social media network associated with conservative voices, but he did not appear at that time.

Katy Perry's 2013 comments about 'real truth' about ex resurface in wake of sexual assault allegations.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that the department is aware of the allegations as more women came forward Monday.

"We are aware of reporting by The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches about allegations of sexual offences," a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. "On Sunday, 17 September, the Met received a report of a sexual assault which was alleged to have taken place in Soho in central London in 2003. Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support."

"We first spoke with The Sunday Times on Saturday, 16 September and have since made further approaches to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure that anyone who believes they have been the victim of a sexual offence is aware of how to report this to the police," the statement continued. "We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us."

Four women have alleged that Brand sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013, according to The Sunday Times.

The accusers, who have not been named, include one who says she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with Brand when she was 16. Another woman alleges Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012.

Representatives for Brand did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The Times said Monday that more women had contacted the newspaper with allegations against Brand and that they would be "rigorously checked."

Brand's U.K. live stand-up shows have since been postponed. "We don't like doing it - but we know you'll understand," Brand's Bipolarisation tour promoters shared in a message for the Theatre Royal Windsor, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The comedian had a few remaining shows, including one on Sept. 19.

Brand, 48, has denied the claims, saying in a video statement shared to social media that his relationships were "always consensual."

The actor revealed that he'd received a few inquiries from media outlets with regard to "a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks."

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According to Brand, the encounters occurred during a "time of promiscuity" but were "always consensual. ..... 

Despite the denial, Brand was dropped by his agency, Tavistock Wood, as the allegations were made public.

 ..... Tavistock Wood has terminated all professional ties to Brand."

Known for his unbridled and risque stand-up routines, Brand has also hosted shows on radio and television, wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.

Brand was suspended by the BBC in 2008 for making lewd prank calls to “Fawlty Towers” actor Andrew Sachs and boasted about having sex with Sachs' granddaughter. He quit his radio show in the wake of the incident, which drew thousands of complaints to the publicly funded broadcaster.

Past incidents involving Brand have resurfaced in the wake of the sexual assault allegations, including an interview in which Katy Perry, who the comedian divorced in 2012, said she knew the "real truth" about the "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" star.

When talking to Vogue about their relationship in 2013, Perry said, "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."

The “Firework” singer continued, "I let go, and I was like, 'This isn't because of me; this is beyond me. So, I have moved on from that."

At the time of the interview, Perry said she hadn't spoken with Brand for quite some time.

"He's a very smart man, and I was in love with him when I married him. Let's just say I haven't heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me [on] Dec. 31, 2011."

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An awkward encounter involving Katharine McPhee was also caught on camera when Brand and the singer appeared on an episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in 2013. McPhee joined Brand and Fallon on the show and the comedian jokingly refused to give her his chair.

"She's welcome to sit here," Brand said before having McPhee plop down on his lap. As she went to stand up, Brand grabbed her by the waist and the "Let Your Heart Sing" musician became visibly uncomfortable.

"Russell, please stop," Fallon said during the interaction.

Brand went on to gush about being attracted to McPhee, saying, "As you know, I've announced it, I find Katharine very attractive, and I think when she said 'exchange numbers' I thought of things that I'd like to exchange with her."

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

When Russell Brand played oversexed rock star Aldous Snow in the 2008 comedy film "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," co-star Kristen Bell gave him a stern warning about his behavior on set, the actress said in a resurfaced interview.

"I made it really clear from the beginning that I would sock him in the b-s if he tried anything," Bell, 43, told the Daily Mail in 2010 of the British comedian who's well-known for his promiscuity. "So he was intimidated."

On Saturday, Brand, 48, was accused of sexually assaulting, raping and emotionally abusing four women, ranging in ages from 16 to 31, from 2006 to 2013. He strongly denies the allegations.

In another 2010 interview, shortly after Brand announced his engagement to pop star Katy Perry, Bell told the UK's Daily Record a similar story of her “Marshall” days with the comic, who played her sex-crazed new boyfriend.

"He didn't try to mess with me or get in my pants," she said. "He knew I would lop his n-s off."

The actress, who was aware of Brand's messy reputation, added: "Russell loves everyone to know that he's a womanizer and he's done all these strange things, but I think secretly hiding inside Russell is a very nice boy."

On a video posted to Brand's Instagram before the joint investigation from The Times of London, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches dropped last weekend, the comic denied all the accusations, saying his sexual relationships "were absolutely, always consensual" and calling the report "a coordinated attack."

The Times reported on Monday that "several women" have come forward with information about Brand since the story's publication. And Brand's manager, Tavistock Wood, has terminated his contract with the comedian.

The news has also reignited interest in an even earlier screen role of Brand's - as a teenager accused of violently assaulting a man on the British crime series "The Bill."

On a 1994 episode of the long-running ITV series that gave many celebs their starts, an 18-year-old Brand played Billy Chase, a petty thief who is arrested for nearly killing a man, cutting up his face and taking his eye out. Like Brand, Billy also adamantly denies any wrongdoing.

"The fight, two nights ago??¦ you left a man for dead!," an investigator shouts at him.

"I was never there!" the teen responds.