Russell Brand has issued a statement attacking the British government in the wake of the controversial comedian being charged with rape and sexual assault in his native U.K.
The charges were announced on Friday as Brand and his family were vacationing in Boca Grande, Fla. The 50-year-old podcaster was hit with six charges in connection to multiple incidents dating back over 25 years, including one count of rape for an alleged assault in 1999.
Hours after the charges were announced, Brand took to social media to deny the allegations while slamming authorities in Britain.
“We’re very fortunate in a way to live in a time where there’s so little trust in the British government,” he began an Instagram video filmed from his Florida hotel. “We’re very fortunate, I suppose, that this is happening at a time where we know that the law has become a kind of weapon to be used against people, institutions and sometimes entire nations.”
He then went on to ask his British viewers how they feel about the current legal system, specifically calling out the administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“How do you feel about some of the high-profile cases that are not being pursued and prosecuted? How do you feel that the Southport murders were handled?” he asked.
After speaking in generalities for a while, he then addressed the allegations against him head on.
“I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single, before I had my wife and family … I was a fool, man. I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord,” he said. “I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that.”
He closed out his video by thanking his followers for their support, promising his fans that he’d be defending himself in court.
On Saturday, Brand and his family — his wife, Laura, and their three kids — were photographed frolicking on a beach in Miami, seemingly attempting not to allow the allegations to derail their vacation.
Additional to one count of rape, Brand has also been charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count each of indecent assault and oral rape. The charges stem from incidents that allegedly took place with four different women between 1999 and 2005.
London authorities said they began investigating Brand in September 2023 after receiving numerous complaints following a joint report by The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4.
Brand is currently scheduled to appear in court on May 2.
