Russell Brand

[Wassapp]

AIBU to think... 'here we go again?'

Anyone watching? I've always said 'innocent until proven guilty' but also 'there is no smoke without fire'.

Having been sexually assaulted myself, one of the stories seem so similar to mine.

What's your thoughts?

This is the most confusing post, I know. I just don't know how I feel.

He said he was sent a letter with details of the accusations. There is no context and I don't recall Dispatches adding any, save that it was provided a week or so earlier.

So I don't think anyone can know whether he had fair right of reply/defence and if you're being investigated for criminal behaviour by a newspaper/broadcaster you'd be pretty stupid to publish your response through that company which has full editorial rights.

Actually I'd say the same about the victims too, but they never had any other way of speaking out.

At best he's a misogynist with a problematic view of women, at worst he's a rapist. I found it interesting in his video that he was careful to say all his 'relationships' were consensual, which appears not to be disputed by the women's evidence. He did not say all of his serial interactions were consensual.
I think he's a manipulator who has has been willingly enabled by the industry. I also think his current persona is total BS, easy to denounce 'corporations' after you have made millions off them, isn't it?

I thought it was 18 where the age gap was disproportionate ?

*sexual interactions

You are misinformed

In this country the tail often wags the dog when bringing celebrity rapists to justice. Blame the patriarchy, not journalists.

Instead of lamenting the 97% of rapists who get away with rape every year, you are lamenting a rapist being shown for what he is. Where on earth is your conscience.

He has the right to sue for libel. Will he? I can hear tumbleweed…

I’m really surprised that a lot of people don’t seem to know that the age of consent is 16

No. I was merely pointing out that either you're wrong about what constitutes grooming (I share your understanding also btw) or that Dispatches knowingly made false allegations of grooming.

It’s standard practice to give subjects a right to comment, and to give them reasonable time to do so.

Both Channel 4 and BBC released statements, as did RB.

Dispatches have been in the industry for decades, of course they gave him a right to comment. Why would they risk a libel case by neglecting to do the basics of their profession?

How’s he a “leader?” I don’t think Jimmy Savile was witty and charismatic

If Brand feels that the accounts in the programme are untrue, he can sue for defamation.

He can have his day in court, and in a court where the burden of proof is lower than in a criminal court.

The legal process has not been "done away with".

Alleged rapist (not found guilty of anything) You rather prove the point about the fairness and impartiality of any future trial.

I have mixed feelings about trial by media. On the one hand, I would prefer it to be trial by jury, but on the other hand, many high-profile cases like Weinstein and Saville only got to trial because of public outcry following MSM reporting and emboldening victims to come forward in its wake.
Because let's be honest the police weren't pursuing them and no one in the industries involved were doing anything other than enabling them as long as the money rolled in.

A pp has pointed out you only need to say ‘alleged rapist’ when he is charged.

Do you have info to the contrary? Can you link?

Witch hunt, they want to silence him and anyone else that doesnt conform to the PC agenda

Yes. Plenty of people have zero interest on this kind of thing

I haven't challenged that.

I don’t recall them mentioning grooming or saying that their respective ages made them having sex a criminal offence. What I got from the documentary was that the criminal allegations were of sexual assault.

@Chaniya it's called investigative journalism and we are lucky to have a UK press with the freedom to do it.
He can sue for libel, he has had a right to reply, he has the privilege of a platform with millions of viewers, something his alleged victims didn't have until yesterday