Russel Brand’s Comedy Tour Postponed Amid Sexual Assault Allegations 

This Monday, British police stated that they have received a sexual assault allegation after media outlets published multiple claims made by several women against Russel Brand. Promoters have now postponed the remaining dates of Brand’s comedy tour.

Both a talent agency and a publisher have parted ways with Brand, 48, as well over the allegations and questioning over his abuse of power as a public figure. 

Brand has denied the allegations made by four women in a Channel 4 television documentary as well as The Times and Sunday Times newspapers. The accusers have not been named, and one claims that she was sexually assaulted by him when she was 16 and they were in a relationship. Another woman states that Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012. 

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London’s Metropolitan Police force stated that the since the initial reports of the allegations against Brand were made, they have “received a report of sexual assault which was alleged to have taken place in Soho in central London in 2003,” which is three years before the earliest of the initial allegation reports. 

“Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support. [We’re urging] anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offense, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us.”

Max Blain, spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said the allegations were “very serious and concerning.” 

“This merits and needs a criminal investigation, because for too long we have seen men — and the perpetrators of these sorts of crimes are almost invariably men — not being held to account for their behaviors and their actions,” Conservative legislator Caroline Nokes, told BBC radio.

The BBC, Channel 4, and the production company behind “Big Brother” spin offs that were hosted by Brand have all said they launched investigations into his behavior and how the complaints were initially handled. 

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Brand’s talent agency Tavistock Wood has also dropped the performer after being “horribly misled” by him. 

Ellie Tomsett, a senior lecturer at Birmingham City University who also studies Britain’s standup circuit, said to the Associated Press that “Brand was a product of a live comedy scene that was riddled with misogyny – and still is, despite progress made by women and others to diversify the comic landscape.

“When we’ve had a rise of popular feminism … we’ve also had a rise in popular misogyny epitomized by the likes of (social media influencer) Andrew Tate, but evident in all aspects of society, and definitely reflected on the U.K. comedy circuit.”

“More and more things are springing up to try and counter this, but the idea that it’s something that happened in the past and doesn’t happen anymore is, quite frankly, nonsense,” she added.