Russell Brand has been spotted for the first time since he was publicly accused of rape and sexual assault by multiple women.
The comedian has not been seen in public since the allegations first emerged in September that he had engaged in abusive and predatory behaviour, including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, between 2006 and 2013. He has denied all the allegations.
Brand was pictured driving to the pub he owns in Oxfordshire on Thursday in his £90,000 Land Rover Defender to speak to staff about ongoing renovations at the property.
The BBC, Channel 4 and production firm Banijay have launched investigations into Brand’s behaviour, while the Met Police and Thames Valley police said they are probing complaints.
Last month it was revealed Brand was forced to take down fencing around his village pub after he put it up in breach of planning regulations the day after he was accused of abusive and predatory behaviour.
The comic was slammed for putting up the ‘unauthorised fencing’ in front of the Grade-II listed Crown Inn.
And South Oxfordshire District Council has now confirmed the star removed the hessian-coated barriers after an investigation by their enforcement team.
Pictures taken on October 7 showed the bare pub exposed again to the public and, at the gate, a man appears to be patrolling the perimeter in a hi-vis coat.
Since the scandal engulfed Brand, several residents have complained that on-site security has prevented them from accessing public footpaths leading up to the comedian’s home.
Brand, 48, faces serious allegations of sexual assault, rape and emotional abuse from several different woman. He denies all claims and says any sexual encounters were consensual.
Accusations published in The Sunday Times and on Channel 4’s Dispatches in September saw multiple women accusing Brand of such assaults between 2006 and 2013.
After Scotland Yard launched a criminal probe into Brand, Thames Valley Police confirmed it was investigating ‘information in relation to the harassment and stalking allegations’ made by a woman.
In this latest allegation, the Mail has seen police logs claiming that the woman accused him of being a ‘sexual predator’.
She lived near Brand and became friendly with him in 2015, before they each accused the other of harassment.
Police are understood to have looked into her claims previously, and dismissed them. Now officers are re-examining the case.
On Saturday, Thames Valley Police said it had been contacted by the woman last week ‘with new information in relation to the harassment and stalking allegations’.
It added: ‘This information is being investigated, as such it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.’
It comes just days after Brand was accused of sexually assaulting an actress on the set of Arthur in 2010.
Brand was accused in a lawsuit filed in New York on Friday, marking the first such accusation levelled in court.
The woman, only identified as ‘Jane Doe’, claimed she was assaulted while she appeared as an extra in a scene from ‘Arthur’ filmed at Le Cirque restaurant in Manhattan in July 2010 – just three months before Brand married pop star Katy Perry.
The woman alleges in an affidavit that Brand ‘appeared intoxicated, smelled of alcohol, and was carrying a bottle of vodka on set’ before attacking her. She also claims that he exposed his penis to her while on set.
The affidavit continued: ‘The sexual assault happened later that same day when I was in the bathroom.
‘Mr Brand entered after me and assaulted me, as a member of the production crew guarded the door from outside.’
The allegation in question would have taken place at a time when Brand was dating pop star Katy Perry.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
