BBC is 'urgently looking' into issues raised by Brand

18/9/2023 6:03

        Britain's BBC said on Sunday
        it was "urgently looking into the issues" raised by allegations
        of sexual assault made against the broadcaster's former
        employee, British comedian and actor Russell Brand, who denies
        the accusations.
        
        Brand, 48, the former husband of U.S. singer Katy Perry,
        worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008.
        
        He issued a denial on Saturday to unspecified "very serious
        criminal allegations" hours before the accusations of sexual
        assaults, including rape, were published online by the Sunday
        Times newspaper and later aired on Channel 4 television.
        
        The Times and documentary show Dispatches reported that the
        alleged incidents had taken place between 2006 and 2013 and said
        one woman had made an allegation of rape, while another said
        Brand assaulted her when she was 16 and still at school.
        
        Two of the accusers reported that the incidents occurred in
        Los Angeles, the paper said.
        
        A BBC spokesperson said in a statement: "The documentary and
        associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a
        number of years. Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programmes
        between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the
        issues raised."
        
        Banijay UK, the production company behind a television show
        once hosted by Brand, said it had launched "an urgent internal
        investigation".
        
        "In light of the very serious allegations raised by
        Dispatches and The Times/Sunday Times investigation relating to
        the alleged serious misconduct of Russell Brand while presenting
        shows produced by Endemol in 2004 and 2005, Banijay UK has
        launched an urgent internal investigation," it said.
        
        Women's charity Trevi, which helps women affected by
        violence and abuse, said it had ended its association with
        Brand, and Tavistock Wood, a talent agency, said in a statement
        it "has terminated all professional ties to Brand".
        
        "Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the
        allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly
        misled by him," it said.
        
        London's Metropolitan Police said it had not received any
        reports in relation to the allegations.
        
        "If anyone believes they have been the victim of a sexual
        assault, no matter how long ago it happened, we would encourage
        them to contact the police," the police said in a statement.