British police investigating comedian and actor Russell Brand allegations of previous sexual offenses handed over a file of evidence to prosecutors so they could consider charging him.
The Crown Prosecution Service said on Saturday evening that “police have referred a file to us to consider a charging decision in this case. Any decision to charge is made independently, on the basis of the evidence and in accordance with our legal test”.
London Metropolitan Police detectives questioned Brand, 49, three times over alleged “non-recent sexual offences”.
“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 who provide specialist support to women who have come forward. We are committed to investigating sexual offenses regardless of when they may have occurred.”
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In September 2023, British media outlets Channel 4 and the Sunday Times published claims of four women of having been sexually assaulted or raped by Brand between 2006 and 2013, at the height of his fame.
Another woman who accused Brand told CBS News’ sister network, BBC News, that she worked in the same building where the BBC’s Los Angeles office was located when the incident occurred. She said Brand laughed 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 wild and risky stand-up routines, Brand has hosted radio and television shows, written a memoir chronicling his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood films, 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 a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories.
In an exclusive interview with “CBS Mornings” after the allegations became public, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan defended the platform’s decision to suspend monetization of Brand’s channel, citing YouTube’s creator accountability policy.
“If creators engage in off-platform behavior, or if there is off-platform information that could harm the creator ecosystem as a whole, you may be suspended from our monetization program,” Mohan said. “This has affected a number of creators and personalities on the platform in the past. And that’s what happened in this particular case around serious allegations.”
