- Culture
- 19 Sep 23
The British comedian was set to conclude his 'Bipolarisation' tour with performances in Berkshire and Plymouth this week
The remaining shows of Russell Brand's Bipolarisation tour have been postponed, following allegations of sexual assault.
London's Metropolitan Police said it has received a report of an alleged sexual assault dating back 20 years, in the wake of media allegations, and Channel 4's recent episode of 'Dispatches', which aired on Saturday, September 16.
The 48-year-old Essex native has been accused of rape, assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his career, appearing regularly on the BBC, Channel 4, and starring in Hollywood films.
The recent allegations also detail Brand's controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, as well as gross misconduct during his time working with the BBC and as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth.
Of the recent allegations the Met Police said in a statement that they had recently received a report pertaining to an alleged sexual assault in 2003: "On Sunday 17 September, the Met received a report of a sexual assault which was alleged to have taken place in Soho in central London in 2003."
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"Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support," the statement continued.
"We first spoke with The Sunday Times on Saturday September 16 and have since made further approaches to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure that anyone who believes they have been the victim of a sexual offence is aware of how to report this to the police."
A joint investigation by the Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4's 'Dispatches', Russell Brand: In Plain Sight, details the allegations of four women, who claim Brand sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013.
One woman from the UK, alleges that Brand assaulted her when she was a 16-year old school-girl, with Brand, who was then in his early 30's, engaging "in the behaviours of a groomer."
A second woman alleges Brand raped her against a wall at his Los Angeles home; receiving treatment at a rape crisis centre on the same day, which the Times says it has confirmed via medical records.
A third woman claims that Brand sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about the assault.
The fourth woman has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Brand in the UK, accusing Brand of physical and emotional abuse.
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Brand has vehemently denied the recent allegations, citing any suggestion of his improper conduct as a "coordinated attack" by the "mainstream media," dubbing the accusations as "astonishing" and rather baroque" in a video posted to his YouTube account on September 15.
The comedian maintained that, despite his "promiscuous" lifestyle, all of his past sexual relationships have been "consensual."
A Brand performance scheduled for today, at the Theatre Royal Windsor in Berkshire, was postponed.
In a statement issued by the show's promoters said: "We are postponing these few remaining addiction charity fundraiser shows, we don't like doing it - but we know you'll understand."
The Windsor venue's management also addressed the issue in a statement, which read: "Theatre Royal Windsor will be offering ticket refunds in line with our terms and conditions of sale."
Performances had also been scheduled for The Pavilions in Plymouth on Friday and The Civic At The Halls in Wolverhampton next Thursday.
Brand, who usually posts a new show on the video platform Rumble at 5pm on weekdays, hasn't released a new episode; instead refuting the allegations in a short YouTube video posted on September 15, pre-empting the release of Channel 4's exposé a day later.
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Following the allegations of sexual assault perpetrated by Brand, YouTube have revoked monetisation on his channel.
The company stated: "We have suspended monetisation on Russell Brand's channel for violating our Creator Responsibility policy. If a creator's off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community."
The company have also suspended the comedian's channel from the YouTube Partner Program, "following serious allegations against the creator," with Brand's channel no longer able to monetise on YouTube.
As 'Dispatches' aired on Saturday, Mr Brand performed a sold-out comedy gig at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in north-west London as part of his Bipolarisation tour. Despite the violent allegations, Brand took to the stage more than an hour late, performing his comedy show to a crowd of 2,000 fans.
After just an hour on stage, Brand abruptly ended his set, five minutes after Dispatches began to air on Channel 4.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have reportedly said that they do not have an open investigation into Brand, with another confirming there have been no arrests following two allegations concerning claims that are said to have happened in the US.
The BBC, Channel 4 and Banijay UK (the company responsible for Big Brother's Big Mouth), have all launched official investigations into Brand's behaviour.