Moment Katherine Ryan claims she confronted 'sex predator' comedian
Topics: Russell Brand, News, Entertainment, Celebrity, TV And Film
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@kathbum/BBC
Topics: Russell Brand, News, Entertainment, Celebrity, TV And Film
Katherine Ryan claimed she confronted a 'sexual predator' in the comedy world in a resurfaced interview from last year.
Ryan chatted to acclaimed journalist Louis Theroux in a tell-all interview in 2022, and said there was an 'open secret' in the industry about a male comic who was known for his inappropriate behaviour.
The Duchess star shared that 'lots of people have tried to nail this person down', but claimed the unnamed individual 'has very good lawyers'.
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When asked by Theroux to describe what she meant by a 'predator', Ryan said: "I think I mean a perpetrator of sexual assault, but it is very dangerous for us to have this conversation.
"I'm happy to have it, but it's a litigious minefield because lots of people have tried to nail this person down for their alleged crimes and this person has very good lawyers.
"So am I going to put my mortgage on the line by saying who this person is or entering into any conversations like that? We've seen what happens to the people who talk about alleged predators."
The famed comedian went on to say that 'it's not [her] story to tell' as she hasn't been a victim of sexual assault.
"But this person, I believe very strongly, so do a lot of people… is an open secret, is a perpetrator of sexual assault," she added.
Ryan continued to say that she confronted the person face-to-face while filming a programme and told them that they were a 'predator'.
These parts were then edited out of the show, she claimed.
"It's fine, I still got paid and I still did my job, but I did it in my way that I felt was fair," Ryan went on.
A year on from her tell-all chat and Ryan is yet to disclose who the comic she was referring to is.
The clip has resurfaced after comedian Russell Brand has been accused of rape, with the entertainment industry's safeguarding procedures once again thrust into the spotlight.
The revelations come as part of an investigation conducted by Channel 4 and The Times for an 90-minute long episode of Dispatches that aired on Saturday (16 September).
Brand and Ryan featured on an episode of Roast Battle together in 2018 - but the mum-of-three has not confirmed her comments to be about Brand, and has previously said she won't be discussing the matter again.
She issued a statement after her interview with Theroux aired hitting out at media outlets for getting in touch with her to try get names of the women who were assaulted.
"Papers, journalists, investigators are asking me for the WOMEN's names," Ryan fumed at the time.
"They want the WOMEN'S names so they can ring them up, pressure them and print their stories and associate them constantly with this s**t.
"Leave these women alone. I will not be discussing this ever again so don't ask me."
Brand has denied the accusations against him.
In a video shared to social media, Brand told his followers the upload - titled 'So, This is Happening' - isn't the 'usual type of video' the channel normally creates where it 'critique[s], attack[s] and undermine[s] the news in all its corruption'.
"Because in this story, I am the news," he says.
Brand went on to say he's received 'two extremely disturbing letters or a letter and an email' - one from 'a mainstream media TV company' and 'one from a newspaper', now revealed to have been Channel 4 and The Times.
He said the letters listed 'a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks'.
"As well as some pretty stupid stuff like my community festival should be stopped, that I shouldn't be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel," he added.
Brand went on to say that he 'absolutely refutes' the claims made against him.