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 won't be watching it, stuff like this shouldn't be made into salacious TV programmes. If a crime has been committed it should have been reported to the police

People often don’t want to report crimes individually, once they realise there are a lot of people with the same complaint, they feel more comfortable talking.

Sometimes journalism does a good job bringing abuse by powerful men to light eg Weinstein and Westwood.

The police will never follow up stories in this way, so these men would never have been brought to justice if it wasn’t for journalism. The brand story will have been properly legalled, or he would sue, so the accusations won’t be baseless.

I happen to work in the media, where abuse has been brushed under the carpet for years. It is a good thing a reckoning is going on now. I am sure many other industries are the same.

There have always been stories about him being a rapist. And simultaneously there have been stories about gagging orders being put on women.

trial by media is wrong but so is a cover up

It's not about him being promiscuous, it's about him being allegedly a rapist and abuser.

Tbf, if you're that surprised, you haven't been paying attention.

It needs to be considered in the context of the times. We are talking about the 00's and this sounds very much like a kiss and tell that didn't work. He was known for sleeping around and being involved in the drugs scene. Just because you regret it now doesn't make it rape especially when it was a different time.

I mean, if you've read the article and that's your takeaway @sleepyscientist then you're simply a rape apologist. Alice was 16.

"Alice alleges that Brand once forced his penis down her throat, making her choke, and that after trying to push him off he only stopped after she hit him in the stomach. She says she was visibly upset after the incident."

This

"It was a different time" sounds like a rapists excuse

There is no 'trial by media' about this.

This isn't a veiled hint on an anonymous gossip site, it's a 90 minute prime time programme by a serious news maker. Everything they have will now be sitting in the hands of the authorities, and I'm sad to say, I suspect that much of it they will have had visibility of already.

How do you know they didn’t? Telling the police doesn’t guarantee that it will be investigated further or get anywhere near prosecution. Frankly we’ve seen enough evidence over the past couple of years that the police don’t always take women’s safety seriously.

Wait for the programme.

Those poor women - he had so much power back then.

I won't be watching either just as I hate these media trials as well. I hope that whoever the programme is about the victims should there be any receive justice through the proper channels.

I've just read the article in full.

It doesn't surprise me. Hedonistic man with lots of money, fame, adoration thinks he can do what the fuck he wants and get away with it.

But surely to god this should have been reported earlier. People saying they were in fear of losing jobs , millions of excuses for not saying something when it was an "open secret "

I'll watch the programme . The lady in America is very convincing, and the texts after . Awful. He was out of control and people were turning the other cheek by look of it. They are surely complicit in the making of this situation. But his actions are his alone .

I do think trial by media is wrong . It serves nothing . If the women in this article want justice they should do what other women in that position do and inform the correct authorities to investigate not splash it all over the media which to some degree doesn't help their case.

100% this. WTF did I just read in the op?

Tbh I hadn't actually seen the allegations despite having a Google search , so please forgive my ignorance.

The same reason for all these posts. No one wants to know.

T

Is "Trial by Media" the new "just questioning the narrative". Fucking hell, absolute bores the lot of you. What a shame we didn't have your 'trial by media' when Savile was still alive.

But surely to god this should have been reported earlier.

Because the police are so well known for how they continually prosecute all reported rapes/sexual assaults and how seriously they always take women and girls? 🤨

Because the police will always investigate rapes, right?
And if found guilty the perp always gets a punishment?

Rape is practically legalised in the UK these days. This is probably the only way a victim can get their story out.

And I'll say it again

At the end of the day channel 4 want viewers, they've whipped up hype around this and are putting it in a prime Saturday night slot. They aren't on some moral crusade.

There is evidence that he text an ex girlfriend apologising for raping her - she attended a rape crisis centre that same day. All proven by medical records. He orally raped a 16 year old he had groomed for 3 months prior. There is evidence for all of it. I really hope it does go to court because he is bang to rights and needs to be locked up.

Yep, I agree. When it comes to high profile cases like this, without the media, many would never have made it to court.

When my niece was sexually assaulted by a group of boys, one messaged her the next day saying he was sorry they forced her and she gave the police her jeans which they tested and found their semen on. Solid evidence and absolutely nothing came of it. She was 14.

Go to the police they say.

If this is true, and I'm not saying I disbelieve the women, but this isn't the right way to get justice .

I agree the media have hugely double standards and are after ratings . Not justice for the women he is said to have raped and abused.

This could really hinder a criminal investigation.

If its true (I believe women but haven't read much about this) then yes absolutely I hope it does go to court. Would a programme like this be reason for him to claim he wouldn't be able to ever have a fair trial?

Someone who readily used prostitutes without issue probably isn’t great at knowing what constitutes rape. He probably thinks he is innocent.