Dispatches . Russel brand .

[fabmaccawhackythumbsaloft]

I actually like Russel brand . And I don't think he's ever hidden what he used to be in his heyday. He's always been very open about his drug use, and promiscuity.

I read his first book . I watch his videos on fb , and while I don't always agree with him, he seems to have totally overhauled his lifestyle, attitudes, is into yoga, self care, seems to be a decent husband and father .

Is this newsworthy ? Young famous comedian in heyday slept with lots and lots of women , consensually he says ?

Hes never hidden it.

On drug misuse I alWays had time for his views that it should be dealt with as a medical issue not a criminal one

What's the news story ?
I always feel like there is much glee and salivating before the media try and knock someone down.
I don't think this is a huw edwards where people would be shocked at him trying to pick up young women behind his wife's back

It seems that brand has settled down , lives a fairly mundane lifestyle and is happy with his choices .

Or am I completely missing something?

I agree. Trial by media.

I agree with this actually. If you enabled this you've bugger all right now to go oh whoops

It’s horrific to watch.
He is another Jimmy Saville without question.

The BBC need to be dismantled

Women saying no means no was still not ok in 2014.

Things were not the dark ages at that point.

Remember that Saville died in 2011. All this is in the IMMEDIATE aftermath of that when there was so much 'how could it happen?' Yet senior producers and other members of TV staff really didn't see the issue????

'Trial by media' has its place. Its also known as investigative journalism.

I suppose there's not enough evidence which is why they've gone to the media. Otherwise, he'd be arrested or something by now.

If Katie Perry, his ex, has evidence of something which she alluded to in an article I read, she should be bringing it forward and should also be looked at for keeping such things hidden.

Do you realise rape and promiscuity are not the same thing?!

I can see how this will go, another Andrew Tate, Donald Trump esq defence on its way

Why? Most of his work was with Channel 4. He was a radio host for the BBC and they sacked him.

We're hearing from five women

I suspect there are many many more victims

There is forensic evidence of rape. Read the articles posted multiple times. Rapey McRapeyFace is a serial litigant and has successfully sued previously for so-called false allegations. Which now evidently aren’t false. The false reporting of rapes/sexual offences is vanishingly small, as is the commits to prosecution of all reported rapes. I’m too tired to look up the statistics again but you could do it for yourself - if you weren’t so entrenched in your beliefs that the women involved are making it all up.

If he isn’t siting in a police cell by the end of the weekend then we may as well give up hoping there will be any kind of safety or justice for women and girls.

This predator has been paid by US to do this. It’s unspeakable. I can’t explain the rage I am feeling right now.

This is all very grim and perhaps just the beginning. I hope this really dismantles the hierarchy of famous, abusive men.

First man to speak. Well done Dan!

I kind of like him but I’ve seen behaviour in plain sight on chat shows that wasn’t ok and would be even less ok in a private space one on one. Then there was the whole Manuel’s granddaughter saga where he behaved atrociously. So I’m not particularly surprised.

Really though, there is no actual evidence being provided here that can be taken as complete truth. I'm not saying it isn't true, but innocent until proven guilty still is our judicial system is it not?

I'm not suggesting that the women are lying, but blindly believing people who make accusations against famous people/influential people/any people (Eleanor Williams to name one very very recently) has been an issue previously when they are then found to be innocent.

RB is no fucking angel, and potentially did do this, but it is only alleged and they really don't have any definitive proof. Do we even know how they verified his old number?

I seriously dislike this type of journalism. It feels like a witch hunt, and will likely damage and possible conviction if the alleged incidents of rape and sexual abuse are proved to have happened.

Yes indeed. I bet it happened to loads of women, and some of them STILL won't come forward, as they will be too scared to.

I am willing to bet that 90% of the women posting on here have at LEAST one incident in their life, where they have been sexually assaulted, sexually harassed, or raped by a man (possibly all 3,) and they never reported it. Indeed, they probably never told anyone - ever.

For many of them, these things have happened more than once.

So comedians used to make jokes about RB and were told not to anymore, RB was "protected" but why? It's not like he had Savile levels of fame or anything, what did he have that made him untouchable?

You mean like Jimmy Saville? And all the people who went to the police? Those people who were obviously listened to and taken seriously?

You mean like that?

Dannii Minogue publically accused him sexually harassing her in 2006. She wasn't taken seriously.
His ex-girlfriend put it in writing in a book in 2014. She was 'lawyered'.

This is the background.

Women have seen how he has made a career out of laughing about women and has sexually harassed women for the lols. And how the TV industry have said 'yep thats funny' and not abusive.

This is what happens. Power is used to silence and intimidate. Women are afraid of losing their careers. Or being accused of being whores for saying yes to Brand initially. But that doesn't mean they consented to other sexual acts. And that makes it particularly difficult for a woman to make a complaint to the police because they know that its unlikely they will get a conviction. Women KNOW how hard it is to get a rape conviction if someone doesn't give consent at all - but if they have said yes, it becomes SOOOO much harder.

@sealop you are a man right?

Russell Brand lives his life courting the limelight and fame. Only right they get to report the other side.

Why does this have to be hidden away and only investigated by police? Sexual assault 10 years ago is never going to even be prosecuted.

I can’t believe how many women on here are tying themselves in knots trying to defend this utter scum, to the point of suggesting that MULTIPLE ANONYMOUS women have come forward and made false allegations. What’s their motivation?

This is sadly true for me.

Raped once. Sexually assaulted once. I didnt report either.

I really DGAF that it's like a 'witch-hunt.' RB is a very famous, privileged, rich man who has lead a blessed life. This is the price he pays for his privilege. His dirty linen being aired.

He is disgusting. Even before these allegations came out he was vile. The way he speaks about women is abhorrent . I’ve never watched anything he is in because I can’t stand him so I am shocked watching this that he was celebrated 🤮

How much actual evidence was there against Jimmy Saville? Unless someone goes to the police immediately after being raped there is no physical evidence and even physical evidence is just evidence of a sexual act, even if you're bruised it could be just argued that it was rough sex and you liked it. Rape is hard to prove and harder to prosecute.

These women have nothing to gain by coming forward and it's interesting that at least two of them are describing very similar things.

Because as a tax payer I demand from the bbc that they do not allow paedophiles and alleged rapists to use my money and yours to increase the star power and status of predators like Brand and Saville that abuse women and children.

I may also add Channel 4 is owned by the government!

It is entirely unacceptable. They knew he was a danger to women and hired him anyway.

How much are these women being paid?

How do channel4 and the like do these investigations? I mean you can’t exactly put out an advert saying “were you a victim of Russell Brand?”

Trial by media is never ok. There are a lot of creeps out there, you could essentially start a rumour about any one of them and let it run. No trial, no evidence, just a load of hysteria on tv claiming that x and y is true and watch the frothing begin.

If this is true then the authorities should have been involved, this should never have made it to television.

How to deal with Brand:

'Take all the female staff off the show so none of them can be alone with him'.

Seriously suggested.

And THATS the level of institutional level sexism you are up against in the media.