British police investigating comedian and actor Russell Brand over allegations of past sexual offenses have given a file of evidence to prosecutors so they can consider whether to charge him.
The Crown Prosecution Service said late Saturday that “we have been passed a file by the police to consider a charging decision in this case. Any decision to charge is made independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test.”
Detectives from London’s Metropolitan Police have interviewed 49-year-old Brand three times over alleged “non-recent sexual offenses.”
“Our investigation continues and a file has now been passed to the CPS,” said Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation. “We have a team of dedicated officers providing specialist support to the women who have come forward. We are committed to investigating sexual offenses, no matter how long ago they are alleged to have taken place.”
In September 2023, British media outlets Channel 4 and the Sunday Times published claims by four women of being sexually assaulted or raped by Brand between 2006 and 2013, at the height of his fame.
Another woman who accused Brand told CBS News partner network BBC News she was working in the same building where the BBC’s Los Angeles office was when the incident occurred. She said Brand went on to laugh about it moments later on his radio show.
The accusers have not been identified.
The comedian, author and “Get Him To The Greek” actor has denied the allegations, saying his relationships were “always consensual.”
Known for his unbridled and risqué standup routines, Brand hosted shows on radio and television, wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.
In recent years, Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media but has built up a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories.
In an exclusive interview with “CBS Mornings” after the allegations were made public, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan defended the platform’s decision to suspend monetization of Brand’s channel, citing YouTube’s creator responsibility guidelines policy.
“If creators have off-platform behavior, or there’s off-platform news that could be damaging to the broader creator ecosystem, you can be suspended from our monetization program,” Mohan said. “It’s impacted a number of creators and personalities on the platform in the past. And that’s what played out in this particular case around the serious allegations.”
Source : Cbs News
