Russell Brand is denying a sexual assault allegation from an extra on the movie set of his 2011 film Arthur.
According to a lawsuit that the anonymous woman filed in November 2023, Brand, 48, allegedly exposed himself to the woman while they were filming the movie in 2010. She claimed he later followed her into a bathroom, where he sexually assaulted her.
In response, Brand said he does not recognize the woman’s name or photo and does not remember interacting with her.
The lawsuit also named Warner Bros. and other companies involved in the film’s production as defendants, accusing them of “negligence and of aiding and abetting Brand by tolerating his misconduct on the set.”
While Hollywood may appear to be all glitz and glam on the surface, the industry has seen its fair share of scandals through the years. The New York Times and the New Yorker first published investigative pieces in 2017 that accused disgruntled movie producer Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault and harassment. Soon after, Weinstein stood trial and was […]
Brand’s lawyers said the lawsuit is “premised on the false claim” that he was intoxicated at the time. The actor and comedian, however, claimed he was eight years sober during the production of Arthur but was playing a drunk character. He publicly celebrated his 20th year of sobriety in 2022.
The lawsuit went on to claim that Brand “appeared intoxicated, smelled of alcohol and was carrying a bottle of vodka on set.” According to the accuser, Brand allegedly exposed himself in front of cast and crew before assaulting her in the bathroom while a member of the production crew guarded the door.
Russell Brand shooting ‘Arthur’ Dara Kushner/INFphoto.com
Brand’s legal team said in response that the bottle was a prop used for the film and that “while Brand’s job was to act drunk and portray a drunk in the film, he did not drink a sip of alcohol or consume any drugs at any time during production.” According to Brand, this shows that his accuser is “unable to distinguish acting from reality.”
The woman, identified as Jane Doe, told the Sunday Times last year, “I felt used and abused. Disgusting is the only word. I felt like I was being used, that I was just an object for his momentary titillation.”
She went on to say that as a result, she continues to suffer from “embarrassment, shame and fear” and now finds it difficult to trust others.
She chose to come forward only recently because she says she felt intimidated by others on set and had “absolutely no power to speak up for myself.”
Before famously being linked to pop star Katy Perry, comedian Russell Brand briefly dated his now-wife Laura Gallacher. After his infamous split from Perry, the pair rekindled and tied the knot in 2017. The Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor, 48, and Gallacher, 36, have since welcomed two children together, daughter Mabel, 6, and daughter Peggy, 4. […]
“Everyone usually turns a blind eye to bad behavior on a set,” she said. “If I had come forward and said something to, say, even a production assistant on the set, what are they going to do? Are they going to fire Russell Brand, or are they going to fire me?”
The woman added that she ultimately chose to speak out in hopes that others with similar experiences will feel empowered to do the same.
This lawsuit is the latest addition to a long list of allegations of sexual misconduct that Brand has faced, dating back to 2006. Since September 2023, he has been accused of sexual harassment, emotional abuse and physical assault. Brand has denied those accusations, previously saying that his relationships were “always consensual.”