RUSSELL Brand has spoken out about a “extraordinary and distressing” week after rape and sexual assault allegations were made against him.
In a video published on social media, he thanked followers for their support and for “questioning the information that you’ve been presented with”.
GB News host Bev Turner was among those to defend Brand, calling him a “hero”, while Neil Oliver also said the treatment of the 48-year-old was “wrong”.
They are Brand’s first public comments since allegations were published by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
He denies all the allegations made against him.
In a three-minute video, he did not directly address the allegations but made claims about what he described as “media corruption and censorship” and “deep state and corporate collusion”.
He said to his followers” “I think you very much for your support and for questioning the information you’ve been presented with.”
Brand (below) continued: “By now you’re probably aware that the British government have asked big tech platforms to censor our online content and that some online platforms have complied with that request.
“What you may not know is that this happens in the context of the Online Safety Bill, which is a piece of UK legislation that grants sweeping surveillance and censorship powers, and it’s a law that has already passed.”
He said he would return to his regular show on Rumble – an online video platform which did not follow YouTube in blocking Brand from earning advertising revenue on its site.
Referring to mainstream media organisations, he said: “It’s clear that these organisations collaborate in constructing narratives, whether it’s about the war or the pandemic, and of course there are other examples.
“It is very clear to me that we have to be very, very cautious indeed.”
The video was posted just moments before Newsnight aired on BBC Two with fresh accusations about the former Hollywood actor’s behaviour.
Anyone who feels affected by any of these issues can contact Rape Crisis Scotland on 08088 01 03 02.
