The Metropolitan Police has responded to allegations towards Russell Brand, saying it encourages victims of sexual assault to contact the drive.
Four ladies have accused Brand of sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013 whereas the comic was on the peak of his fame, in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.
He denies all of the allegations towards him.
A Met Police spokesperson stated: “We are aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault. At this time, we have not received any reports in relation to this.
Read more: The allegations in full
“If anybody believes they’ve been the sufferer of a sexual assault, regardless of how way back it occurred, we might encourage them to contact police.
“We spoke with The Sunday Times on Saturday 16 September. We will be making further approaches to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure that any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police.”
It comes as:
• Channel 4 and manufacturing firm Banijay UK have each launched investigations
• BBC stated it was “urgently looking into the issues raised”
• Brand carried out at a comedy present in London on Saturday night time
• Elon Musk and Andrew Tate have been amongst these showing to supply Brand assist
• Charity Trevi Women has lower ties with the comic
• The UK overseas secretary known as for faster responses to such claims
• A parliamentary committee stated it will “closely monitor” the difficulty
• Amnesty International stated the claims have been “shocking” but it surely acquired no complaints
The Met’s assertion got here after the BBC stated it was “urgently looking into the issues raised” about Brand – whereas Channel 4 and manufacturing firm Banijay UK have each launched investigations.
When requested if it will perform its personal probe, the BBC stated in an announcement: “The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a number of years.
“Russell Brand labored on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we’re urgently trying into the problems raised.”
Channel 4 stated in an announcement: “We have asked the production company who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.
“Channel 4 can also be conducting its personal inside investigation, and we might encourage anybody who’s conscious of such behaviour to contact us immediately.”
Banijay UK owns Endermol, which produced The Channel 4 show Big Brother and its spin-offs, on which Brand worked at the time of some of the claims.
It said in a statement: “In gentle of the very severe allegations regarding the alleged severe misconduct of Russell Brand whereas presenting reveals produced by Endemol in 2004 and 2005, Banijay UK has launched an pressing inside investigation and can co-operate with any requests for info from broadcast companions and exterior businesses.
“We also encourage anybody who feels that they were affected by Brand’s behaviour while working on these productions to contact us in confidence.”
The charity Trevi Women, which helps moms recovering from drug habit, additionally introduced on Saturday it was chopping ties with Brand.
Amnesty International described the allegations as “shocking” however stated no complaints or considerations have been raised when Brand took half in its Secret Policeman’s Ball fund-raising gigs in 2006 and in 2012.
But it urged ladies to come back ahead “if there is anything that they experienced at that time that is of concern.”
‘Certain issues I am unable to talk about’
Elon Musk, controversial influencer Andrew Tate and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson have been amongst these to react to the claims on social media this weekend, with posts showing to assist the 48-year-old comedian.
A video by Brand through which he denied the claims was additionally shared on-line by TV star turned radio host, Kirsty Gallacher, who’s the older sister of Brand’s spouse Laura. She later deleted the publish.
Brand carried out at a comedy present in London on Saturday night after the allegations got here out, telling followers he liked them however that there have been “certain things” he “could not discuss”.
The comic turned up in a black Mercedes 46 minutes late to the sold-out gig on the Troubadour Wembley Park theatre, which was because of begin at 7pm however didn’t start till simply after 8pm.
A video from inside confirmed him strolling out on stage smiling and being met with cheers earlier than telling the crowds: “Thank you, thank you, I love you.” The 48-year-old appeared to briefly tackle the allegations made towards him earlier than he started his set.
Audience members advised the PA information company Brand advised them he hoped they’d “appreciate” there have been “certain things he could not discuss” through the present.
Brand has three extra dates for his Bipolarisation dwell present tour, along with his subsequent a sell-out in Windsor, earlier than appearances in Plymouth and Wolverhampton.
‘I really feel like I’m being attacked’
Ahead of the publication of the claims, Brand, who has in recent times repositioned himself as a wellness guru and critic of the mainstream media, launched a video entitled “So, This is Happening” through which he described the claims as “a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks”.
Brand stated within the clip: “As I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.
“I do not thoughts them utilizing my books and my stand-up to speak about my promiscuous consensual conduct previously. What I critically refute are these very, very severe prison allegations.”
He added: “Also, it is price mentioning that there are witnesses whose proof immediately contradicts the narrative that these two mainstream media shops are attempting to assemble, apparently, in what appears to me to be a coordinated assault.”
Signing off the video, he said: “Now, I do not wanna get into this any additional due to the intense nature of the allegations, however I really feel like I’m being attacked and plainly they’re working very intently collectively.
“We are obviously going to look into this matter ’cause it’s very, very serious.”
Cleverly requires fast response to considerations
Meanwhile, the UK’s overseas secretary, James Cleverly, spoke to Sky News concerning the risks of “sharp differentials in power” following the allegations towards Brand.
He didn’t remark particularly on the allegations however advised Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “We see that [sharp differentials in power] in the film industry, the entertainment industry and sadly, of course, we sit in the area that I work in terms of politics, where you have very, very significant power differentials, long working hours, people in that environment.”
Mr Cleverly added: “We need to make sure that we are going out of our way to protect the people that have less power than those around them. We need to respond to their concerns very, very quickly when they are highlighted.”
The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee chair, Dame Caroline Dinenage, additionally promised that MPs will “closely monitoring” the response to the allegations towards Brand.
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Source: information.sky.com”