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Original poster

Biggest news story: Part 3

612 replies

Mimmy352 · 16/09/2023 15:40

Right so it’s being described as Baroque because whoever is writing it is from the 18th century and can’t figure out how to upload the story

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SkinnyMalinkyLankyLegs · 16/09/2023 17:52

So no aliens? 😔

Purplewarrior · 16/09/2023 17:52

I thought DJ was finally going to be outed but he obviously has superior protection than RB.

Awful for the women who have been raped or assaulted, but agree with PP, it’s been hyped up as a much bigger news story than it is.

VeloVixen · 16/09/2023 17:52

milafawny · 16/09/2023 16:09

genuine question, but is it possible they have already been to police, who investigated, and it was decided there wasnt enough evidence to prosecute, so they have taken this route instead?

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I thought I read that the women hadn’t raised their accusations until approached by a reporter?

obviously if they have previously been to the police and got nowhere that’s awful and puts an extra layer on it, one of cover ups, etc.

MsLavender · 16/09/2023 17:53

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Yes but he has form for suing newspapers and he's won against them regarding a rape claim before. If he can take on the media and win then the victims likely felt they don't stand a chance without a huge amount of support, proper investigation and others backing their claims.

VeloVixen · 16/09/2023 17:53

Rainbowsandbutterflies1990 · 16/09/2023 17:50

I honestly think it was. I mean it's ideal isn't it! He's got blind following thinking he's some guru/cult leader. U can tell when u actually engage with the comments on the YouTube video.

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I said earlier today to someone that he’s a very “cult leader” type figure.

Jomerr82 · 16/09/2023 17:55

I’ve just read on bbc news site that’s it’s about Russel Brand 5 charges of rape and indecent assaults.

justasking111 · 16/09/2023 17:55

How did channel 4 find the victims. Did a police officer frustrated by the lack of action become a whistle blower?

SurpriseItsMeHorseyNeighNeigh · 16/09/2023 17:55

BloodyHellKen · 16/09/2023 17:36

I imagine it would be pretty easy to kill someone as sexually incontinent as RB. Quick injection from one of his conquests, overdose, in the papers, relapsed addict, job done.

But then I don't believe for a minute 'the powers that be' want him silenced.

I think instead he is a sleazy man who has got away with rape and sexual assault for too long, hiding behind lawyers and now hopefully he is about to get his just desserts.

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I always chuckle (in an amused but terrified way) when i see that there are people who think that there is a great worldwide power who manipulate our reality, but they can't murder someone discreetly or keep the truth away from the likes of Russel Brand or other conspiracy theorists 😂😂

PamelaAndreaGryglaszewska · 16/09/2023 17:58

EsmaCannonball · 16/09/2023 17:50

I grew up in the eighties and nineties when alternative comedy was taking over from the old-style club and variety acts. You were definitely encouraged to believe that because the new comedians had progressive opinions then they must be better people than those who got by on joking about their mothers-in-law and the Germans. How naive that seems now.

I do think that this investigation should have happened, I do think the story should be published and the documentary should be aired, I do think the police should investigate and prosecute if appropriate. However, I do wonder if the media organisations who protected and enabled Brand despite his predatory behaviour would still be doing so if he still had what they regard as the right opinions. I don't mean that this is all a conspiracy to bring him down but rather that they would still be indulging him if he hadn't gone a bit alt-right. They wouldn't have investigated him if he'd stayed one of their own. The big story here isn't Russell Brand but how the arts and media world still enables these men, especially if the men are in the right tribe.

I totally agree. This is one of the many occasions when I feel like Mary Whitehouse was Cassandra.

I also think you are right that RB's persona and left leaning political stance was directly reflective of Channel 4's raison d'être (to push every social and sexual boundary through their programming) and political affiliation (nobody believes their news programmes are neutral, surely). And yes, now that his politics has shifted towards the right/libertarianism/scepticism, his historical affiliation with them appears both unpalatable to them and the excuse they need to attack him. I do wonder if C4 will take any blame for the monster they created.

TroglodytesTroglodytes · 16/09/2023 17:59

Lol, they are just vile in a different way. Bernard Manning was a sexist/racist but didn’t rape anyone or seek sex with 16 year olds in his 30s. The progressive ones aren’t necessarily nicer.

milafawny · 16/09/2023 17:59

justasking111 · 16/09/2023 17:55

How did channel 4 find the victims. Did a police officer frustrated by the lack of action become a whistle blower?

Someone on tiktok states she was approached by journalist claiming to work for C4 and the Times after she mentioned spending a weekend with him, she stated because he was nice to her they didnt continue talking to her.

lemmein · 16/09/2023 17:59

Yes but he has form for suing newspapers and he's won against them regarding a rape claim before. If he can take on the media and win then the victims likely felt they don't stand a chance without a huge amount of support, proper investigation and others backing their claims.

@MsLavender I'm not questioning the victims motives at all, I believe them. I would never question why a woman didn't report, I've personal experience of it myself, I know why women don't report.

I'm questioning why the sudden interest from journalists for something that has been an 'open secret' for 20 years? What happened 3 years ago for The Times to suddenly take notice?

Kyovashad · 16/09/2023 18:01

What about the mother in this? She dropped her 16 year old daughter at a 30 year old man's house and left her to it. Out of all the people to protect the 16 year old, it was the one who should of protected her the most, that failed to.

There's not a single chance in this world I'd drop my teenage daughter off to a 30 year old man's home.

anotherside · 16/09/2023 18:02

Russel Brand went from leftie to raging right wing conspiracy theorist

Not sure he’s gone raging right wing. The topics he picks are (I’m sure purposely) attractive to many on the right (and left)* *but the content itself isn’t very right wing at all. Whenever he talks on the economy it’s clear he’s hardly a conservative, let alone a Republican.

topnoddy · 16/09/2023 18:03

justasking111 · 16/09/2023 17:55

How did channel 4 find the victims. Did a police officer frustrated by the lack of action become a whistle blower?

Ask enough people and you will get the "right" answer to the question no doubt .
I've zero respect for these witch hunting programmes .

VeloVixen · 16/09/2023 18:03

milafawny · 16/09/2023 17:59

Someone on tiktok states she was approached by journalist claiming to work for C4 and the Times after she mentioned spending a weekend with him, she stated because he was nice to her they didnt continue talking to her.

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I just hope their methods haven’t wrecked the chances of a trial…..I don’t think the police are allowed to trawl for prospective victims like this? Guess it might depend how they worded initial questions?

SurpriseItsMeHorseyNeighNeigh · 16/09/2023 18:05

MsLavender · 16/09/2023 17:58

https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/nationals/russell-brand-accepts-substantial-damages-from-daily-star-over-rape-claim/

I've shared this earlier but for those asking why people didn't speak out. This was from 2007 where allegations were made against him then and he sued and won. I think it's obvious why people were fearful of speaking out, would you?

Forced to apologize... better hope she made it up (she probably didn't) or else it is absolutely sickening.

I hope that tonight's program will dig deep into any protection he might have received...

NeverDropYourMooncup · 16/09/2023 18:05

mydogisthebest · 16/09/2023 17:19

I won't be watching but I would love to know how they are going to fill 90 minutes with this story.

They could fill a week with women who lived, worked and socialised in Camden who have plenty to say about him, for a start.

I'm surprised it's got to the point of being treated as something the papers would be even vaguely interested in.

lemmein · 16/09/2023 18:05

anotherside · 16/09/2023 18:02

Russel Brand went from leftie to raging right wing conspiracy theorist

Not sure he’s gone raging right wing. The topics he picks are (I’m sure purposely) attractive to many on the right (and left)* *but the content itself isn’t very right wing at all. Whenever he talks on the economy it’s clear he’s hardly a conservative, let alone a Republican.

Agree with this - it's laughable that anyone would call his views right wing.

AliciaLime · 16/09/2023 18:06

Loulou599 · 16/09/2023 16:46

These allegations are probably true and they are awful.

However RB sobered up and changed his life around. He put an end to his addictions, he now runs a fairly harmless YouTube channel and seems to be content doing that and living with his family.

Does that mean his crimes should be forgiven? No. Should they be forgotten? Possibly.

I'm another one who is suspicious of the reason why so much effort was poured into researching this man over any of the other men of that generation who probably did all that and worse. Why him?

Rape should be forgotten?! Wow. Fucking hell.

Things have certainly changed around here.

People saying ‘waah, it’s only alleged rape by someone not quite famous enough, my sat night salacious viewing is ruined’.

Other half saying conspiracy theory shit about how he’s anti-establishment and so the timing’s suspicious. I’m a bit worried they’ll be slacking on their anti vax posts.

Honestly, the alleged behaviour is horrendous. Those poor women and no wonder they’ve struggled to be heard before with this type of reaction. It should be for-mensnet.

EsmaCannonball · 16/09/2023 18:07

I don't think that because a 16 year old girl has a shit mother we should just shrug if that girl is sexually exploited by an older man. It's the teenagers with terrible parents who are particularly vulnerable to this. Abused by Russell Brand and your own mother didn't care.

PamelaAndreaGryglaszewska · 16/09/2023 18:08

So anyone looking at the conspiracy side - Murdoch's Fox News let go of Tucker Carlson, much to the chagrin of the right. Sites like RB's have been championing Carlson's return to the airwaves on X, promoting Carlson clips and encouraging the boycott of Fox, all while Carlson is still in contractual dispute with Fox. Brand might be a crackpot, but his 6.6m following far exceeds the viewing figures Fox now gets. So, this could have been something The Times has sat on until the right moment. They could be trying to take out others via taking out/discrediting Brand. However, none of that tactic has worked wrt Trump. The more he is taken to court and attacked, the more his crackpot followers double down in their support. I think Brand's tin foil hat followers might be the same. Far from being "awakening wonders" as he calls them, I think most of them have few critical thinking skills, are just looking to follow a Messiah/martyr figure. They are unlikely to accept that he's not the Messiah, just an extremely naughty boy.

anotherside · 16/09/2023 18:09

Readership and viewership of the legacy media is dropping like a stone. Meanwhile Brand has been gaining about 1.5 million subscribers annually the last few years. IE is annual net gain is greater than the 250 year old TheTimes entire readership.

And he’s been gaining those readers while focusing heavily on issues like out of control capitalism, security of online information, censorship, the ethics of a handful of corporations dominating the public sphere… the sort of thing that the legacy media/establishment are not very fond of.