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.

This was covered quite extensively in an earlier thread.

Reasons include:

• the difficulties and complexities that come with women reporting to the police
• the importance of investigative journalism in uncovering crimes & the historic role its played on social and criminal justice
• the relevance of the topic in the wake of Saville, Harris and Weinstein
• the crucial point of abuse happening in full view of the public and people with a duty of a care
• this was a televised piece of serious journalism, not an entertainment show
• note: the allegations had to be rigorously legally tested in order to be broadcast

I find all the Why didn't they go to the police comments naive and offensive as fuck. As a rape victim I've seen first hand how broken the criminal justice system is.
I also find it strange that he has such a huge following with all the conspiracy theory nonsense.
The thing with rapists is they don't have it tattooed on their forehead.. There's a guy sat somewhere in London who has a wife/children and friends who I'm sure would all say he's a great guy.. To me he was a monster who locked me in a room and raped me.
I don't know Russell Brand but that documentary was harrowing and I choose to believe women.

I agree with this. I just think there’s so many other famous men out there equally guilty of this, and just wondering why single Brand out? Especially the focus on how he had girls picked out of audiences to go meet him back stage. I’ve read many ‘pop star’ biographies where they’ve been pretty open about doing this. There were parts of the program that made for grim viewing - specifically the rape allegations, but other parts (depressingly) pretty much par for course amongst celebs.

They said that about Savile too when the rumours were circulating years before the truth came out.

I genuinely don't understand why this has apparently become News of the World.

5 woman came forward, all worked for him or with him. Countless teens been given numbers? Even if a small percentage comes forward that’s a lot of woman.

How do you not understand that this program gives these woman the right to be heard and offered retribution?

Floodgates are opening and he’s going to be investigated, we’ll see how many come forward in the next few weeks.

Yeah it’s the easy play for rapists these days. Embrace a conspiracy theory or two, attack ‘wokeism’ or the mainstream media and you’ll have an army of supporters who’ll dismiss every allegation against you.

Not so surprised here. Why? Because I was surprised that he came out in full force supporting that he was against porn nearly 10 years ago. Dunno why but I was more shocked then.

Beggar's belief, doesn't it? All members of the RB cult...

Weird how you’ve skimmed over the rape allegations, as if that’s just a side event.

The minimising by his fangirls is sickening.

His (Brand) arrogance is insurmountable if he thinks that he (and his political views) are really that much of a threat or that important that the times and channel 4 would undertake a forensic investigation of claims against him and then publish them including in a 90 minute programme just to take him down [because he is a significant political threat] it's not rational.

The video he made is ridiculous and badly edited.

For all the people saying “but why didn’t those sexually abused by the famously promiscuous and popular celebrity go to the police”

This in spades. Particularly if you ever come across anyone like this in real life. If you want to put someone in jail you have to be sure beyond a reasonable doubt that the person is guilty. If you're choosing who to believe or who to let into your life, better be sure beyond a reasonable doubt that they are not.

Yep. I don't want to sound flippant but... somehow I'm not surprised.

He is the one Katherine Ryan spoke about.

He also knows full well that his audience won’t believe a word against him. He’ll be the persecuted victim, targeted by the ever-nebulous ‘them’.

I've never liked him and never watched him on telly. Always thought he was about as funny as explosive diarrhoea.
However, I do believe that anyone accused of any crime is entitled to a fair trial in front of the jury and not tried by the court of the media.
I don't disbelieve the women who made the allegations but I think that the evidence should have been sent to the police rather than broadcast on TV

Had anyone come up with a good explanation for why a non-rapist would send a text message, apologizing for raping someone, yet?

Or are we still just sticking with vague nonsense about the establishment being out to get RB?

Women are just collateral damage. Especially young powerless women. Who gives a shit if they had a bad experience. Just shut them up, make them go away and keep watching the money roll in.

If he has broken the law it's a police matter , not a trial by media circus

I mean, channel 4 had to include a statement from channel 4 about the role it played in allowing this offending. They literally get nothing out of this documentary other than giving women a voice they would not otherwise have. They don’t have the money to spend on a 3 year investigation just to set someone up who is completely insignificant otherwise, and particularly insignificant to the government.

I’m sick of hearing about set up / conspiracy shite to be honest. Particularly to excuse the behaviour of vile, abusive men.

You "don't disbelieve" them? Are the words "I believe the victims" choking you a bit there?

It's OK, you can believe them, it doesn't taint you.

How can he have been set up when his actions were there to see? Literally videos of it.

That is the nature of fame. If you behave like he has you run the risk of being publicly exposed. Don’t like it? Then don’t be a sexual predator, and don’t court fame.

It seems to me that it was Ch4 that first knew he was a sexual predator and actually enabled and facilitated it with their staff handing his contact details to young female university student audience members during Big Brothers Big Mouth.
Let's face it, Ch4 employed him because they wanted someone very risque presenting to draw viewers in. Ch4 seem to be acting quite blameless in this. Perhaps they will now insist they whistleblew by commissioning this Dispatches, when in reality they are protecting themselves from accusations of 'doing nothing'. A weird form of self protection seen as they effectively created this monster, or at least allowed it to flourish and thrive.

Where have I skimmed over the rape allegations? I’ve said these made for grim viewing. Distressing and disgusting in equal measures. But there was a lot of padding out with the bits about giving numbers to girls/inviting them back stage. Women in this position should just decline to go back stage or give their numbers to him. This is something that 99% of celebs do, and they openly admit to having done it in their careers. And I am no apologist for Brand. I am not, and never have been, a fan.

I want the higher ups to be exposed too, the people that protect and even elevate men like russell brand and jimmy saville