Russell Brand - everyone knew

[Mooshamoo]

I was watching the comedian Katherine Ryan say to Louis theroux that a British comedian is a sexual perpetrator. It is now believed that she was talking about Russell brand. She said on the video "when it eventually comes out about these type of people, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, this unmentionable British personality, it turns out that everyone knew. Everyone knew. ".

I was wondering did anyone on here on mumsnet know anything about Russell brand? A lot of us lived in London when her was living there. And many women on here would have been a similar age to Russell brand . I lived in London for a year and I saw Russell brand out on a night out once. That was the extent of it. I was wondering did anyone on here have any experience with him, or know about a friend/acquaintance that had any experiences with him.

*when he was living there.

London is a vast place! Maybe ask Sadie Frost and Kate Moss?

I could never understand why anyone would like him when he pushed his attitude right at women. He did a “Lock up your daughters” tour! What did anyone think he was about?

Yes I think she's right, everyone knew. Not the awful details, or the extent of the current investigation, but it was certainly widely known that he was dodgy and one to be avoided in a dating context. A couple of friends and acquaintances had "experiences". He wasn't the only famous name on the circuit who girls often warned each other off but he was probably the most obvious.

Yep..I've known since 2007 when a colleague mentioned she had dated him and just how awful he was. It took her a long time to get over it. She never shared specific details but the way she spoke about their relationship, you could tell there was trauma. And that was years previously.

He always made me uncomfortable.

I know someone (male) who worked with him early on in his career. Yes his behaviour was common knowledge. I don't even think that aspect is in doubt tbh.

‘Everyone knew’ could mean a huge range of things though. There’s a big difference between hearing a rumour that someone is a serial shagger, say, and being told they’re a rapist and not to be alone with them.

I think Katherine Ryan means "everyone knew he was worse than just being a massive shagger".

It’s funny how ‘everyone’ says they knew when allegations are aired. Yet they were silent before…

I think pretty much everyone knew he was a wrong 'un. Not specifics, not exactly what he did but nearly everyone knew he wasn't someone to trust.

I know someone who had to work with him on and off over a year, and thought he was one of the most odious human beings she’d ever had to work with. He made her, and her colleagues lives a misery. He was awful to everyone, in a complete diva, power mad sort of way.
She quit the company, and industry not long after to do something else entirely.

Friend saw him in person a few days a month over that time, I don’t think she saw anything solid to report to police, she’s not the type to let that kind of thing slide. But was he dodgy as fuck and horrible? Yup.

It's not really 'funny' that people were 'silent,' is it? People told each other in person plenty of times. They don't write it on the internet because don't want to get sued, fairly obviously!

To clarify on this point. I'll write in full what she actually said.

She says in the video to Louis theroux, that's she knows that there is a dangerous predator in the comedy industry in the UK.

Louis theroux says:"when you say predator what do you mean"

Katherine Ryan says: "I mean someone that is a perpetrator of sexual assault".

She goes on to say to Louis theroux:

"It's very dangerous for us to be having this conversation . I'm happy to have it. But it is a litigious minefield. Many people have tried to nail this person for their actions. But this person has very good lawyers".

She then says

"The thing is with these types of people, Harvey Weinstein, bill Cosby, this unmentionable British personality, when it eventually comes out, it turns out that everyone knew. Everyone knew"

Every one knew what? He was promiscuous, a sleaze ball , misogynistic, ? Out of control ? Well he never hid that did he ? He was inviting members of the audience back to his dressing room all the time , his assistant said women were throwing themselves at him .

But does that make him a rapist ?

Hopefully this will go throw the courts and this evidence will have a chance to be scrutinised.

He operated in plain sight, as the documentary said, just like Jimmy Savile did. He openly talked about his disgusting behaviour as part of his comedy routine, in the same way that Savile talked about his liking for young naked ladies.

She said (whatever comedian she was talking about), that everyone knew that he was a perpetrator of sexual assault

‘But does that make him a rapist ? ‘

no, it’s the raping a woman part that makes him a rapist. This ‘ oh women were all over him’ bullshit doesn’t mean he wasn’t also misusing his power to be a creep or worse to women who weren’t ‘all over him’.
The ‘he’s not a rapist because he already gets loads of sex’ defence is straight out of the 80s.
Rape is about violence, control, power. Not needing a shag because you’ve had a bit of a dry spell.

Everyone also knew about Saville. Nothing was ever done as he made people a lot of money.
It always comes out when they're no longer cash-cows for the media.

My friend had a date with him. Nothing untoward happened, he was just really, really weird. Weird enough that she didn't bother again. Boring and self obsessed. This was before he married Katy Perry so a good while ago.

It's common public knowledge that he was a massive womaniser and sex addict and he's never hidden this; it's been a huge part of his whole persona. Tbh I would just assume someone that has slept with thousands of women has probably sexually assaulted many people, even unintentionally like a sort of sex addiction collateral damage, and I'm not surprised to hear about rape accusations.

I saw Brand once in Shoreditch when I was working there & he was living/working in the area. He was on the phone and when he saw me he straightened up, smiled at me and gave me a 'look'. I remember not being flattered at all as it just seemed like such typical and predictable behaviour from a known womaniser. He has never appealed to me, but clearly a lot of woman fancied him and have been happy to sleep with him despite his reputation.

My friend snogged him at an awards evening thing. She said it didn’t go any further, no groping etc. Doesn’t mean anything in particular though, does it?

I really dislike him and always have. But, I really hate the way these things are now a ‘trial by media’. Just go to the police from the get go before going to the papers.
And as much as I think he’s a total sleazeball I think he’s as much right to anonymity as his accusers/victims.
Let the proper channels and procedures deal with it instead of thus media circus. If he’s as guilty as they say he is then that’s the only way to get him locked up.

And as much as I think he’s a total sleazeball I think he’s as much right to anonymity as his accusers/victims.

This is interesting to me.

Why should someone who is abusing women and abused children and has used a position of power to do so have a right to anonymity?

It was an open secret in certain scenes, so I ‘knew’ in the sense that it was indeed something I had been told. He was and is very litigious, which made people very nervous about openly stating it.

That's what Katherine Ryan said. But why is he seen as more litigious than other people?

Surely anyone could get a lawyer to defend themselves. I think that maybe victims were sadly just too scared of him as a person. He is scary