“Comedian” and conspiracy theorist Russell Brand has been accused of rape and abuse by multiple women, according to an extensively reported story in the Times (UK).
Somehow this doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
Here’s a summary of the charges as reported in the story:
The comedian and actor Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse during a seven-year period at the height of his fame.
Four women have alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, while he was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 and then an actor in Hollywood films. Others have made a range of accusations about Brand’s controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.
Brand denied the allegations and said his relationships have all been consensual.
The findings come from a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.
Some of the details:
One woman alleges that Brand raped her against a wall in his Los Angeles home. She was treated at a rape crisis centre on the same day, according to medical records. Text messages show that in the hours after leaving his house, she told Brand that she had been scared by him and felt taken advantage of, adding: “When a girl say[s] NO it means no.” Brand replied saying he was “very sorry”.
A second woman alleges that Brand assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still at school. She said he referred to her as “the child” during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for about three months, and that Brand once “forced his penis down her throat”, making her choke. She says she tried to push him off and said she had to punch him in the stomach to make him stop.
A third woman claims that he sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about her allegation.
The fourth described being sexually assaulted by Brand and him being physically and emotionally abusive towards her.
The story paints a picture of an absolute monster of a sexual predator, sordid detail after sordid detail.
So here’s an open thread to discuss these allegations (or whatever else you want to talk about).
@FM Ox: Oh, I am so sorry you are stuck where you are. Ohio has got to be better. I’ve a friend in Cincinnati, and he’s always doing really interesting things. Perhaps giant monsters have too much respect for Ohio to attack most of it? Or they’re politicians and it’s not an election year.
@Alan: Was not expecting that, but was amused.
FWIW I did a short vid on the origin of Critical Race Theory. So in case you ever need to argue with someone who’s getting it wrong you can just post this.
Alan, I do like your videos. Such good explanations.
Nitpick: NASA, the last A is for Administration. I am old enough to remember the Moon landings.
When Alan’s video ended, one of the suggested ones was the Rolling Stones’ new song. So I listened. Very stripped-down blues/gospel, with Lady Gaga carrying the high notes.
@ gss ex-noob
As a space geek, I wanted to kick myself as soon as I said it. But my brand* is that the vids are unrehearsed and one take; so no retakes or edits.
(*Well, that’s my excuse)
But if you like space stuff…
@Alan Robertshaw:
Off-topic (and somewhat personal) question, and I apologize for whatever rudeness I may be committing: are you heterochromic, or is that simply an effect of the light in your facial close-up videos?
@ FMO
Not rude at all; it’s an interesting question.
My default eye colour is grey; and pretty even. But they can change to blue and green; depending on the lighting conditions.
It was actually here that I learned that’s part just reflection but also part physical change in the iris.
So on the vids I’m not sure. I do the key light, fill light, back light thing. So one side is lit quite a bit brighter than the other. So it may be a trick of the light, or it could be my actual eyes reacting. Now you’ll have me checking!
Speaking of vids; look who arrived today! I just need to make him a little barrister outfit so he can join us as Capybarrister.
Just look at his little face!
Capybarrister looks 🧡🧡🧡 🙂
Are they going to work with children you might need to talk with, or just hang out with you and your colleagues for morale and general good times?
(the eye colour thing is fascinating. I always used to think the talk of changing colour must be a bit of poetic license until that explanation came around)
Great vid on Critical Race Theory, I had no idea it started as a legal term.
well-wishes to you and GSS and any other mammotheers who may drop by!
I love Capybarrister already, even without the robe!
He seems firm about seat belt use, which is a good start.
🐹🦫cuz there’s still no capy emoji.
Apropos of nothing in particular*, have a video of a sugar glider frolicking in a sunny meadow in slow-motion:
http://www.tiktok.com/@mindblowingalaxy/video/7262349052589673770
*Except that I was wondering if any Mammotheers out there might be able to ID the music; Alan helped me before with an elusive piece that proved to be a Taiwanese New Age classic.
@ opposable thumbs & gss ex-noob
He’s going to assist me in my vids. Although in the unlikely event I ever do a trial with a vulnerable witness I’ll see if he wants to tag along. I’m still trying to blag that fox from the course though.
And yes, he’s a very well behaved passenger. I picked him up on the way to the shops. I didn’t want to put him back in the bag though, that seems cruel, or have him sliding off the seat into the footwell; hence the belt.
@ FMO
Here you go…
@FM Ox: What a lovely video! Almost magical, definitely adorable.
I feel s/he and Capybarrister could be friends, covering land, water, and air while always being cute. Perhaps the glider does the leg work/investigating and Capy prosecutes or defends, as necessary, to save the environment and the world. It would be a kinder, gentler, cuter, animated version of Law & Order, minus copaganda.
Okay, on the one hand, I love Capybarrister.
On the other hand, I’m a little disappointed that he doesn’t have a pertuke yet.
@Alan Robertshaw:
That was prompt to the point of abruptness—thank you!
(And Instupendo was seventeen when he made that in 2017. People who decide that real music was a limited-edition product that shut down production in 1980(1) or whenever—and even then was to be found only on specific radio stations, in their native language—doom themselves to living in perpetual Victorian mourning for their Precious Little Youth as icon after icon dies off, until finally their own turn arrives.
(1) The date keeps sliding with generational turnover, of course. The nursing home where I spent some rehab time in 2021–and where I, at 60, was one of the youngest clientele—seemed to be fossilized largely in the big-band through Doo-Wop eras.)
@GSS ex-noob:
I feel s/he and Capybarrister could be friends, covering land, water, and air while always being cute. Perhaps the glider does the leg work/investigating and Capy prosecutes or defends, as necessary, to save the environment and the world. It would be a kinder, gentler, cuter, animated version of Law & Order, minus copaganda.
And of course Mr. Fox would be a member of their furry social justice law firm.
@ drip dyke
Well, I hate to disappoint…
His debut…
Technically his first appearance was in a zoom with a judge; as I’d set up ready to do a vid.
Oh this is priceless. As the kids would say “That face when…” the judge tells you you’re not getting a jury trial because your lawyers forgot to tick the box requesting one.
(That’s the relevant lawyer on the right. I would love to have earwigged the conversation outside the court after the judge said that)
@Alan Robertshaw:
But the lawyer did it aGaInSt HiS wIlL and now there is no fair trial. Therefore, no choice but to delay the trial until after the election. No choice! None! These are not the droids you’re looking for. Stop looking for droids, you Democrat puppet judge!
It’s not clear that this was an intentional strategy, but if it was, it doesn’t seem to be working.
@Crip Dyke
A what?
Meanwhile, Cloudflare is blocking access to your blog again. It seems they didn’t learn their fucking lesson (to mind their own fucking business) after the first time.
Someone needs to send them a message to stick to their core competency (DDoS protection) and quit trying to be NetCop.
There’s this one site where every single time I visit it Cloudflare pulls me out of line for an extra pat-down. I guess they think “Ben Boundler” sounds Arabic or something? And they’re racists?
If it’s not DDoS traffic they should just let it through. And their near-monopoly needs to be broken up.
@Alan Robertshaw:
1990. But your typo is forgiven.
@Alan: Capybarrister has been officially called to the bar! Huzzah!
Did the judge say anything about him listening in with the duckie? I say Duckie shares the water with Capybarrister on their team. Does the higher-altitude work. Mr. Fox is for clever plans and has to be reminded to acquire evidence so it stands up in court. Duckie’s a little nervous around him, for obvious reasons. Unless he isn’t the Mr. Fox I’m thinking of. Capy’s robe doesn’t show up well, though, perhaps he needs his own key light? Just a dim one.
This would be a delightful cartoon. It would be educational without being heavy-handed like Captain Planet. No humans allowed, it’s all cute animals for the defense, m’lud.
Which trial is this from? I can’t be bothered to keep up with them all. But good news anyway. I looked at NBC’s highlights, which said he turned beet red at times. Actual gammon!
Rarely have I heard the sad trombone “wah-wah” noise so clearly when looking at a photo, BTW.
@FM Ox: The last nursing home I was at had early 70s music, so they’re a bit more up with the times.
And I’ve finally gotten around to local news; my new Senator is a Black lesbian.
🤣
Pretend this👆has a different finger up, in the direction of MAGAts.
@ gss ex-noob
Didn’t even mention; nobody did. Which surprises me a bit. It was a meeting about advocacy training; and with this lot, just a cat walking into frame gets unanimous “Awww”s and the judicial system comes to a halt until the requisite human has given us the cat’s entire backstory.
Yeah, tried getting more light on the pair; but it just means you can see the case that they sit on. It’s just a very matt black so its hard to light. I could mess with the colour grading but people seem to like the minimalism.
@GSS ex-noob:
Pretend this👆has a different finger up, in the direction of MAGAts.
Here are instructions, with a choice of human color options; maybe this version, in honor of your new Senator? 🖕🏾
https://yaytext.com/emoji/middle-finger/
@Alan
The Mighty Ash (our lone surviving grey kitty) approves, and wishes to point out the injustice of me keeping him out of my office when I’m having tele-meetings. I have tried telling him that his magnificence would overwhelm people, but sadly he does not believe me.