Russell Brand denies ‘very serious criminal allegations' in new video
Russell Brand has taken to YouTube to defend himself against some 'very serious criminal allegations' set to be shared in a documentary.
In a video uploaded to his page yesterday (Friday, 15 September) the 48-year-old actor and comedian spoke out about some 'very serious allegations' which are set to come to light about him in a documentary and published in a newspaper.
Yesterday, the Mirror reported a '90-minute special Dispatches investigation' documentary will air on television tonight (Saturday, 16 September) delving into the behaviour of an A-list celebrity, with speculation growing online as to who the celebrity is. Catch a look at Brand's video here:
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In the video, Brand tells 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 goes 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'.
Brand explains the letters list '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 adds.
The comedian says he feels compelled to 'absolutely refute' some of the 'very serious allegations' which lie within the 'litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks'.
Without going into too much detail about the 'very serious allegations,' Brand says they relate to the time he was working 'in the mainstream' in newspapers and in movies.
The comedian continues: "As I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.
"Now, during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I'm being transparent about it now as well.
"And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question, is there another agenda at play?"
Brand reflected on having seen other 'coordinated media attacks'.
"Like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn't approve of, and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language," he says.
Brand also drew on warnings he's received from social media users about people 'coming for' him and him getting 'too close to the truth'.
"I know that a year ago there was a spate of articles - Russell Brand's a conspiracy theorist, Russell Brand's right wing. I'm aware of news media making phone calls, sending letters to people I know for ages and ages," he continues. "It's being clear to me, or at least it feels to me like there's a serious and concerted agenda to control these kind of spaces and these kind of voices. And I mean, my voice along with your voice."
Brand resolves he doesn't 'mind' his books or stand-up being used to 'talk about [his] promiscuous consensual conduct in the past'.
However, he says: "What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations.
"Also, it's worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narrative that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently, in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack.
"Now, I don't wanna get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations, but I feel like I'm being attacked and plainly they're working very closely together. We are obviously going to look into this matter 'cause it's very, very serious.
"In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more important than any of that, if you can, please stay free."
Tyla has contacted Channel 4 for comment.
Topics: Celebrity, News, Social media, UK News, Russell Brand
Poppy Bilderbeck