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Russell Brand ‘ripped holes in woman’s tights’ and ‘refused to call her taxi until she performed a sex act’ | Ents & Arts News

A woman has told Sky News that Russell Brand made her feel “vulnerable and intimidated” – and alleges he refused to call her a taxi until she performed a sex act.

It comes as new allegations continue to emerge about the comedian’s behaviour, as another organisation cut ties with him.

Sarah, whose name has been changed, claims she met Russell Brand on an aeroplane where he “seemed friendly and charming”.

He invited her for breakfast and a walk after the flight and she agreed to travel in his limousine.

“He changed,” she says, “like he wasn’t friendly and charming in the limo. He was aggressive and I felt very vulnerable and intimidated.”

She describes Brand “jumping” on her.

Cast member Russell Brand arrives at the premiere of "Rock of Ages" at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California June 8, 2012. The movie opens in the U.S. on June 15.   REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni  (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)
Image:
Russell Brand in 2012. File pic

“The limo driver was turning around a few times because I was saying no, but he ripped a hole – more than one hole – in the tights that I was wearing,” she says.

Sarah says they drove straight to Brand’s house where they had consensual sex.

“I mean, it was consensual. I didn’t say no,” she said, “but I feel like there’s a fine line between being forced and being coerced, you know, like being in a situation where the only way out is just to get it over and done with and leave.”

She claims Brand then refused to call her a taxi until she performed oral sex on him.

“I wanted to leave and I said, ‘I need to get a taxi’. And he said, ‘I’m not going to get you a taxi until you do this’, which was a sex act.”

She describes feeling “really trapped” and wanting to “scale that house.”

Sky News has reached out to Russell Brand’s representatives for comment.

Read more:
The allegations in full
Stars’ past warnings resurface
From drug addict to controversial comedy star

‘No, no, no’

The BBC, meanwhile, has said it is looking into new allegations by another woman who claimed he exposed himself to her.

The woman, whom the BBC is naming ‘Olivia’, said she was working in the same building as Brand 15 years ago in Los Angeles when the incident happened.

She claims she answered the door to Brand and his team, and when she went into the bathroom she noticed he was behind her.

Speaking to the BBC, she claims Brand said he was going to have sex with her, to which she replied “no, you’re not”.

Olivia then alleges Brand showed her his genitals to which she responded with “no, no, no”.

She says she returned to her desk afterwards and texted a BBC employee in the office about what had happened.

The employee told her that he knew because Brand was talking about it in the studio, on Radio 2.

Russell Brand in 2008
Image:
Russell Brand in 2008

In the broadcast, which aired on 21 June 2008, Brand is heard speaking to his co-presenter Matt Morgan about it.

Morgan said: “[It’s been] 25 minutes since he showed his w**** to a lady,” and referred to “the receptionist”.

Brand is apparently heard laughing in the background.

According to the BBC report, Olivia never made a complaint, but management was informed in 2019 and no formal action was taken.

The BBC said it was sorry to hear the allegations and would investigate them as part of a review into Brand’s time at the BBC.

In a statement reported on BBC News, Matt Morgan said: “I was not aware until now of the nature of this encounter.

“I’ve expressed my regrets now looking back at the impact of the show and this is a further example.

“The recent coverage has been very distressing to read and I reiterate my absolute condemnation of any form of the mistreatment of women.”

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Dispatches programme makers speak

‘Open secret’

Comedian Nish Kumar has also spoken out, on his Pod Save The UK podcast, describing the presence of alleged sexual predators as an “open secret” on the comedy scene.

Brand, 48, has previously been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four other women between 2006 and 2013.

He has denied all the claims – saying that his relationships have always been consensual.

The accusations were first reported by the Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches earlier this month.

The Metropolitan Police subsequently said it had received a sexual assault allegation against Brand dating back to 2003.

As a result, a number of organisations have now cut ties with the presenter.

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C4 boss: Brand allegations ‘disgusting’

The latest to end its association with Brand is the Treasures Foundation, which said it had been “extremely saddened” by the allegations.

In a statement, the charity said it was “founded on Christian principles” and is “totally committed to advocating for the voices of women”.

It continues: “As a result of the recent media investigation into Russell Brand, we have made the decision to no longer receive any support from Mr Brand, and the Stay Free Foundation.

“Moving forward our focus remains on the women under our care.”

Comedian Nish Kumar says presence of sexual predators in industry is ‘open secret’ following Russell Brand allegations | Ents & Arts News

Nish Kumar says young women have been advised to steer clear of dressing rooms used by ‘predators’ still working on the comedy scene.

The comedian also said the knowledge of Russell Brand‘s alleged abuse against young women was “a well-known open secret on the comedy circuit” and he thinks it’s likely “there’s more allegations to come”.

Cast member Russell Brand arrives at the premiere of "Rock of Ages" at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California June 8, 2012. The movie opens in the U.S. on June 15.   REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni  (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)
Image:
Russell Brand

Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse and sexual misconduct by a number of women – claims he vehemently denies.

Speaking on his Pod Save The UK podcast, Kumar said: “This stuff is still happening, there are still people working in comedy who are the subject of open secrets.

“There are still people who work in comedy that we can’t name because again, of the threat of lawsuits. And there are still people working in comedy who people will say, ‘Oh, we don’t send young women into their dressing room’.”

The 38-year-old added: “Now at that stage for me, you should be sacked from that job. If you can’t have someone be around young women, they have no place in any kind of workplace.

“The tolerance of it is something that we are going to have to actually have a reckoning with.”

Kumar, who previously hosted The Mash Report and Late Night Mash – said he first heard about Brand’s alleged wrongdoings in mid-2017, and that “from that point onwards it was well known”.

He said it went on to be discussed by multiple comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018.

However, he said the “very specific and serious allegation” against Brand that he had first been made aware of was not one that was discussed in the Channel 4 Dispatches programme which aired at the weekend.

For that reason, Kumar said he thinks “it is possible that there’s more allegations to come”.

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Pointing to Brand’s diminishing TV work in the UK after 2019, Kumar said: “That’s simply because increasingly people were just not willing to work with him. Everyone was afraid to talk about it because of the threat of lawsuits, you know?

“And so, the only power people had was to withdraw participation from shows involving Russell Brand.”

Abuse of power is an industry wide problem

He said as a comedian working in the industry, he too felt a sense of “guilt” and “complicity”.

Kumar said: “Watching it as a cisgendered, heterosexual male comedian, you feel a certain sense of guilt and a certain sense of complicity because you’ve been working with production companies and producers who are providing an infrastructure that allows predators to thrive.”

He said the “indulgence” of top talent was “an issue that cuts across all of the industries,” and which needed to be addressed.

Kumar concluded: “The only people to come out of this with anything approaching any credibility are the victims who have been brave enough to step forward and the journalists who have worked extremely hard to produce rigorous pieces of journalism so that they could get around the threats of a very powerful man’s lawyers.”

Read more:
The allegations in full
Stars’ past warnings resurface
From drug addict to controversial comedy star

Brand, 48, was initially accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four women with the alleged offences taking place between 2006 and 2013.

The comedian and presenter denies the claims, and says all his relationships have been consensual.

Following the report by the Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches, two further women have come forward with allegations against Brand.

The Metropolitan Police says it has received an allegation of sexual assault against him dating back to 2003.

The BBC also says it is looking into allegations by a woman who claims Brand exposed himself to her and then laughed about it afterwards on his Radio 2 show.

In the wake of the claims, numerous companies have cut ties with Brand including his management company, a women’s charity and several of his YouTube sponsors.

Sky News has approached Russell Brand for comment.

Russell Brand denies ‘serious criminal allegations’ he claims are being made against him | Ents & Arts News

Russell Brand has denied “very serious criminal allegations” that he claims will be made against him by a newspaper and TV company.

In a video posted on YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, titled “So, This is Happening”, the comedian denied the allegations that he described as “a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks”.

He said that while he was “very promiscuous” at the height of his career, his relationships were “always consensual”.

Brand, 48, said: “Now, this isn’t the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption because in this story, I am the news.

‘Very serious allegations that I absolutely refute’

“I’ve received two extremely disturbing letters or a letter and an email. One from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing 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.

“But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks, are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.

“These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies. And 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?”

He continued: “I’m aware that you guys have been saying in the comments for a while [saying] ‘watch out, Russell. They’re coming for you, you’re getting too close to the truth, Russell Brand did not kill himself’.

“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.

‘A serious and concerted agenda’

“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.

“I don’t mind them using my books and my stand-up to talk about my promiscuous consensual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations.

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“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.”

Brand has not named the newspaper and TV company which he claims have made allegations against him.

Next in advanced talks to snap up vintage brand Cath Kidston | Business News

Next is in advanced talks to buy Cath Kidston in its latest swoop on a prominent but troubled retail brand.

Sky News has learnt that the FTSE-100 chain, which has a market value of close to £8.7bn, could wrap up a deal to acquire the modern vintage label as soon as Tuesday.

Banking sources said an agreement was likely but not certain.

Cath Kidston has been owned by Hilco Capital, the specialist retail investor, for less than a year.

Next’s prospective swoop on it marks a further attempt to build a portfolio of wholly owned retail labels.

Its acquisition strategy has focused on well-known names which have run into financial difficulties and which can benefit from Next’s logistics and marketing muscle.

Among the brands it has bought are Made, the online furniture retailer, and Joules, the fashion group which collapsed into administration late last year.

It also bid for TopShop, the then jewel in the crown of Sir Philip Green’s high street empire, but pulled out of an auction before the brand was sold to ASOS.

Next is due to report full-year results on Wednesday and is forecast by City analysts to unveil record pre-tax profits of more than £850m.

PricewaterhouseCoopers has been advising Hilco on a sale of Cath Kidston for several weeks, and is understood to have held talks with a number of potential bidders.

Cath Kidston has been owned by Hilco Capital for less than a year
Image:
Cath Kidston has been owned by Hilco Capital for less than a year

Cath Kidston was bought out of administration little more than two years ago by Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA).

At one stage, it had scores of shops, but now trades from fewer than a handful of its own outlets, having collapsed into administration in 2020 with the loss of nearly 1,000 jobs.

It was established by its eponymous founder in 1993, and became a high street fixture with scores of standalone shops.

Like many retailers, however, its fortunes were hit by the pandemic, forcing it into insolvency about three years ago.

BPEA, which took full control of Cath Kidston in 2016, struck a pre-pack insolvency deal which entailed the closure of its UK high street estate.

It still has fewer than a handful of stores in Saudi Arabia.

Known for its floral and polka dot designs, Cath Kidston has been run for several years by Melinda Paraie, who joined as chief executive from luxury goods brand Coach in 2018.

It expanded from a single shop in west London selling car boot finds and vintage fabric into a business offering fashion, homewares and accessories.

The chain made a fortune for its founder when she sold a stake to private equity firm TA Associates about 12 years ago in a deal reportedly worth £100m.

Next and Hilco declined to comment.

Lilt brand scrapped after nearly 50 years – with drink to be renamed | UK News

Lilt is being axed after nearly 50 years and will be rebranded as Fanta Pineapple and Grapefruit.

The drink is famous for offering a “totally tropical taste”, with one well-known 1988 advert showing the “Lilt man” delivering cans on a sun-kissed beach.

“The Lilt ladies”, played by two Jamaican women, became the face of the brand in the 1990s.

The Coca-Cola Company said the drink will use the same formula when it becomes Fanta – with the first cans and bottles appearing in shops from 14 February.

Coke executive Martin Attock told The Grocer he wanted to reassure fans “absolutely nothing has changed when it comes to the iconic taste”.

The company recently hinted at the move when the label design changed to bring it in line with the Fanta style.

Fizzy drink fans of a certain age have been mourning the loss of the drink, which first launched in the UK in 1975.

One Twitter user wrote: “When I first came to England as a teenager in the late 80s, Lilt was one of my top 3 English food things with Salt and Vinegar Crisps and Salad Cream. RIP.”

Another said: “I’m not sure I want to live in a world where Lilt, the totally tropical experience, no longer exists.”

Others on social media were surprised it was still available – and some said it was decades since they sampled the drink’s tropical delights.

“I wish I could remember the last time I had a Lilt, just so I could be outraged about it being discontinued,” a tweet read.

Labour brand Rishi Sunak’s shelter visit ‘excruciating’ after PM asks homeless man if he works in business | Politics News

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has branded Rishi Sunak’s visit to a shelter “excruciating” after he asked a homeless man if he works in business.

Mr Sunak visited the homeless shelter in London run by The Passage on Friday and praised the “fantastic” work that the institution is carrying out during the festive period.

The PM got behind the counter and helped served food to people coming in for a hot meal – including a full English breakfast to one homeless man called Dean – but a rather awkward exchange ensued.

After a brief introduction, Dean asked the PM: “Are you sorting the economy out?

The PM replied: “That is exactly what I am trying to do.”

After Dean said that sorting the economy would be good for business, Mr Sunak then asked: “Do you have… do you work in business?”

Dean replied: “No, I’m homeless. I am actually a homeless person. But I am interested in business.”

The PM responded: “Yeah? What kind of business?”

Dean added: “I like finance, it’s good for the city and when finance and stuff is doing well, we all do well, don’t we, in London.”

Mr Sunak then proceeded to tell Dean how he “used to work in finance” and how jobs in finance can now be found “around the UK”.

Dean replied: “Like law associations, stuff like that?”

The PM then continues: “Is that something you’d like to get into?”

Dean responds: “Yeah I wouldn’t mind, umm.. but, I don’t know, I’d like to get through Christmas first.”

Mr Sunak then asks Dean what he is doing this weekend.

“No idea, but I’m hoping [St] Mungo’s can help me get into some temporary accommodation so I’m not on the street,” he replied.

Reposting the video of Mr Sunak’s exchange with Dean, Ms Rayner labelled the conversation “excruciating”.

While shadow Wales secretary Jo Stevens added: “He has no idea.”

Another Labour MP, Bill Esterson, said the exchange demonstrated Mr Sunak was “out of touch”.