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.

If it was rape it's child abuse.

But sex with a 16 year old doesn't mean it was child abuse.

Again earlier posts seemed to be really conflating these points in what I think could be a damaging way, so clarity is important.

With all kindness, if he did things that you didn’t consent to or he knew you weren’t comfortable with, the. he abused you. You don’t have to punch someone to get them off you for it to be abuse? I had a relationship with an older man when I was 15-19. I realise now how utterly disgusting aspects of it were. You think when you’re that age that you were the one in control, but if you were doing things you didn’t want to do, you weren’t comfortable with, that’s abuse. He abused his position of power over someone who wasn’t yet a fully developed adult. I’m sorry. You may disagree and that’s okay, but he took advantage of you. X

@StrawberryWasp

Yes that’s right. Consensual sex at age 16 is not child abuse.

The accusations made by Alice (forced oral sex, spitting) would be child abuse.

No, they weren’t. You accused me of conflating it, but I wasn’t. I have said repeatedly I am talking about the accusations she has made of sexual abuse. Please do not twist my words, I am being very clear

So child abuse can be sex with a child that involves pressure (including emotional?) or force?

Lots of very confused people here. A 16 year old can currently consent to sex with a much older man (assuming no position of power or authority or responsibility).

Rape and assault of a sixteen year old is both rape and child abuse.

Both things can happen.

And the take away for me isn't about this man. It's about the acceptance of predatory behaviour as something we have to put up with right up to the point of criminality.

We really need to stop tolerating predatory behaviour.

Read my previous comment about having a relationship with a much older man at the age of 16. I was not a child, I was completely infatuated with this older man and I went along with everything. Was I coerced? No, was I seduced, absolutely! Was it child abuse? Absolutely not! Was it questionable on his behalf? Possibly,

I would say deeply questionable in his behalf, and consent is only consent if you understood the nature of what you were consenting to and were freely able to say no. I’d also argue that the act of seducing a child creates a power imbalance when the person they were seducing is a child - and at 16 legally you were still a child.

I hear that you don’t consider what happened to you to be child abuse, and I won’t argue with your understanding of your experience, but it sounds abusive to me.

Sorry, sex with a 16 or 17 year old?

I’m sure Katy Perry and his wife will eventually come out and talk about his behaviour towards them.

The Evening Standard, 2007:

https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/pixie-16-falls-for-noel-33-but-don-t-tell-her-old-man-7259708.html

I am not making excuses for these men - it’s fucking awful! I do, however, think it is relevant to note how things were reported at the time. It’s not good! I am not saying it’s good. But when people say rape culture is supported by the mainstream I suppose this is the sort of stuff they mean. “Bad boy comedians”, “controversial”, oopsie! FFS.

Yes! The law is very clear on this and the relevant legislation was last updated in 2003, so in force during the period covered by these accusations.

For almost everyone, losing a libel action means you are bankrupted. So the threat of legal action if you make allegations about a person's behaviour is a powerful way for an abuser, fraudster or other person committing crime to keep others silent.

Think Robert Maxwell, no doubt Jimmy Savile (though he used other means as well such as referring to his charity work), as examples.

Age 16 legally is not a child. So therefore not a child abuser

Never ever found RB remotely funny- thought He was loopy and acted like a hyperactive kid on telly so couldn't tolerate him in anything.
Always felt his persona on tv was all an act - serial shagger etc etc. He has admitted to all of this over the years- not a crime last time I looked.

Why oh why is dispatches the self proclaimed met police??

They have ruined an innocent man who is that til proven in court .
I think its disgusting this trial by media. Where is the evidence?
Dispatches have destroyed his wife and poor kids for what- tv ratings dont kid yourself its for the public service its about ratings and publicity. They certainly arent altruistic do gooders .
So RB wasnt a nice fella/ was always onit looking for women so flipping what !! i can name a few lads from college like this who then settled down.

Honestly holier than thou pearl clutchers are having a field day. If he sexually assaulted women he needs to rot in jail but this programme is completely ridiculous.
Police first
Then conviction
Then documentary
Not the last one first!!
Jimmy saville preyed on kids - vulnerable kids in hospitals and care homes
I think its vile to compare RB the same as JS . No comparison in the JS levels of evil

So maybe the confusing thing is that it’s child abuse because they are still a child, and they don’t stop being a child because they are over the age of consent.

Never understood the hype about this disgusting man. Couldn’t stand the sound of his voice and he just looks dirty.

I didnt say it wouldnt be rape. But when we are informed of someones criminal history, we would be told for example, rape of a 13/14/15 year old, he is a child sex offender

If the rape was of a 16 year old, he wouldnt be named as a child sex offender

Get your facts straight.

A child is defined as any person under the age of 18. Child sexual abuse involves forcing or inciting a child to take part in sexual activity, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening and not necessarily involving a high level of violence.
This may involve physical contact including rape or oral sex, or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or exploiting or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet) or prostitution. Child sexual abuse can be committed by both men and women, or other children.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/crime-info/sexual-offences

He raped that kid in the mouth. He also raped another women - medical records prove it. This is the tip of the iceberg- your "this isn't Saville" comment is going to age pretty badly I think.

This has been covered at length. Age 16 is legally a child.. it is child abuse to rape someone aged 16 or 17. Repeating this is becoming exhausting.

This is all conjecture, and I'm loathe to add to the hysteria, however RB has some very close high profile friends, people he's been friends with for decades. I can't see mega showbiz savvy guys like Jonathan Ross and Noel Gallagher (he was Noel Gallagher's best man!) associating so acutely with a known ('open secret') predator. Katy Perry married him. He's currently married into an industry family.
It makes no sense; the comparisons to Savile are frankly ridiculous.
I watched RB's stand up, read his books, and the sexual piss taking in his act was aimed 99% at himself.

He broke my heart. I thought he was the love of my life. I was an idiot. He went on to have other girlfriends and I was just an idiot.

How do you know he is nowhere near JS level? This is the tip of the iceberg. He raped a 16 year old in the mouth "to see her mascara run". He also told her her didn't care if she was 12, as long as he knew where he stood legally. And you think she's the only one??

I guess what she meant was that when it comes out it’ll be obvious that this person was capable of doing what he did and it won’t be a surprise. Which it wasn’t, a surprise.

I knew. A friend worked at the BBC in 2006 and 2007 and she would tell me stories. According to her he would prowl the staff canteen and halls looking for pretty woman who took his fancy and he did not accept no for an answer and badgered until he got a number, they agreed to drinks etc. New female joiners were warned to avoid him.

“There are no rewards for reporting rape. Just perhaps a court case hanging over your head, if you are lucky. Can you really not see why somebody would choose not to go through that?”

Yes I can see why someone would not want to through that but, and maybe this is just me, I cannot see why going to the press makes it better.
You can go to court and retain anonymity and the reward, if it comes, is seeing justice done correctly and your abuser in prison, knowing he’ll not be able to do the same to anyone else.