Russell Brand.Photo:Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Russell Brandis facing another allegation.
The comedian, 48, has been accused of exposing himself to a woman and then laughing about it on his BBC Radio 2 show.
The alleged incident took place in 2008 when the woman was working for a media company that was in the same building as the BBC’s Los Angeles office, according toBBC News. Minutes later, Brand was recorded laughing on air with co-host Matt Morgan, who said Brand “showed his willy to a lady.”
Morgan told the BBC he was “not aware until now of the nature of this encounter.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, a BBC spokesperson said the corporation was “very sorry to hear” about the incident and it is reviewing the allegation as part of a wider investigation into Brand’s behavior at the BBC.
A representative for Brand did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Friday.
The woman opened up about the incident in an interview with Nomia Iqbal, the North America correspondent for BBC News, that was published on Thursday. According to the news outlet, BBC management was informed about the incident in 2019, but no formal action was taken.
The woman told the BBC the incident happened in June 2008 when Brand and his team came to the building to pre-record an episode ofThe Russell Brand Showfor BBC Radio 2.
She claims while searching for sinus medication in a medicine cabinet in the bathroom, she felt someone behind her. Upon turning around, the “startled” woman was faced with a man’s groin in black pants and soon realized that the man was Brand.
TheForgetting Sarah Marshallstar then started a conversation with the woman and told her, “Oh, I think you’re a bit alright. I think you’re a bit of alright.” He then said he was going to call her Betty.
Russell Brand.John Lamparski/Getty Images
John Lamparski/Getty Images
When the woman replied to say that wasn’t her name, she claims Brand said, “Well, I’m going to f— you.”
“And I said, ‘No, you’re not.'” she said in response. The woman claims Brand, who has been married toLaura Gallachersince 2017, then “pulled out his flaccid penis on his hand and served it to me as you would be serving me some food.”
Russell Brand.Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
The BBC’s statement read in full, “We’re very sorry to hear of these allegations and we will look into them. We are conducting a review to look at allegations of this nature and if the woman who has shared her story is willing to speak to us, we would be very keen to hear from her and anyone else who may have information.”
“A key part of the review is to understand what complaints were made at the time, if there was knowledge of Russell Brand’s conduct while he worked on BBC radio, and what was done as a result, the statement continued. “We will of course speak to the bureau team and anyone who was working there in 2008 as part of this.”
“Further, the Director General has been very clear that some broadcasts from that period were, and are, inexcusable and totally unacceptable, and would never be aired today.”
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One woman accused Brand of raping her against a wall in his Los Angeles home in 2012, while an ex colleague alleged Brand sexually assaulted her in 2013.
Brand haddeniedthe claims on Friday, Sept. 15, saying in avideo posted on social mediathat he “absolutely” refuted the “serious allegations.” He also called the claims “extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.”
On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police said they werereviewing a new claim of sexual assaultagainst Brand in London. In a written statement, the police told PEOPLE the alleged attack took place in London’s Soho in 2003 and they were in contact with the woman concerned and “providing her with support.”
In a statement, Sticker Mule told the outlet it was “suspending their relationship with Russell Brand pending further information.” Vivobarefoot, meanwhile, said it sponsored Brand over the summer, “before any of the recent allegations were raised,” and that any remaining activity with Brand “has been stopped.”
This comes after YouTube revealed on Tuesday that it had suspended Brand’s ability to make money from his video channel, which has 6.64 million subscribers.
A spokesperson for YouTube said in a statement perThe Guardian, “We have suspended monetisation on Russell Brand’s channel for violating ourcreator responsibility policy. If a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
