Detectives investigating allegations of sexual abuse against Russell Brand have asked prosecutors to consider charging the famous British actor and comedian.
It followed a joint investigation by Channel 4's Dispatches and The Sunday Times, published in September 2023, in which four women accused Brend of crimes including rape, sexual abuse and emotional abuse.
The accusations date from the period between 2006 and 2013, when the 49-year-old Brand was at the height of his fame, reports the Guardian.
He denied any wrongdoing, claiming that all of his sexual relations were "absolutely always consensual".
Following initial media reports, police confirmed they had "received a number of reports of sexual offenses in London" and elsewhere in the country. On Saturday, it was announced that "a man in his forties was questioned in the presence of a lawyer on three separate cases."
"The evidence has now been submitted to the prosecution for consideration," it was announced.
At the time of the alleged offences, Brand was working as a presenter on BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, and as an actor in Hollywood, where he starred in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
One woman told "Dispatches" that Brend started a relationship with her when he was 31 and she was 16. She claimed that the relationship, which lasted three months, was emotionally abusive and controlling, and that Brend called her "child".
Another woman alleged that Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home in 2012, adding that she sought help at a rape crisis center the same day, the Sunday Times reported. The newspaper said she then texted him saying she was scared and felt used, adding: "When a girl says no, it means no." Brand reportedly responded by saying he was "very sorry".
A third woman alleged that Brand sexually assaulted her while working with him in Los Angeles and that he threatened her with legal action if she told anyone, according to the newspaper.
A fourth woman also said Brand sexually abused her and was "physically and emotionally abusive" to her, the Sunday Times reported.
The newspaper stated that the women they spoke to did not know each other and that most chose to remain anonymous.
Following the allegations, the BBC and Channel 4 removed material featuring Brand from their websites, while YouTube suspended his ability to monetize videos posted on his channel.
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