Russell Brand denies Dispatches documentary claims
Piers Morgan’s wife Celia Walden has shared details about the two times she has interviewed Russell Brand amid rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse allegations against him in Channel 4’s Dispatches documentary, which he strongly denies.
In an interview with the comedian in 2010, Celia asked him whether he had ever felt female attention was predatory.
He reportedly replied: “I don’t think that women are as predatory as we are.”
In her new Telegraph column, she added of their first meeting: “He was happy to talk about the sex addiction that consumed him in the Noughties.”
Piers’ wife went on to claim that Russell said he was “arduous and committed” at the time before admitting that “after two periods of abstinence”, releasing himself from “self-imposed exile from the flesh did feel like a relief”.
In an interview with Russell seven years later, Celia said “he was less provocative” and described himself as a “new man” rejoicing in his marriage to Laura Gallacher, fatherhood and ‘being clean’ – “as he put it: ‘an evacuee from madness’.”
Reflecting on their meetings, she added: “Did any of this give me the confidence to decide whether or not Brand is a criminal? No. The evidence presented in the report is compelling but I’m not a detective.”
The journalist did however call for the “extremely serious” allegations to be “thoroughly investigated by both the police and the broadcasters accused of covering up what has been described as an ‘open secret'”.
She went on to say: “The arrogance of anyone who was not there to witness Brand’s behaviour nor knows him personally making a judgement is breath-taking. Yet this kind of pile-on is becoming the norm: we saw it with Phillip Schofield in May and Huw Edwards in July.”
“The Metropolitan Police has only just begun its inquiries into the allegations made by four women, who claim Brand committed rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013 – which Brand vehemently denies – with a view to launching a criminal investigation,” Celia added.
“And the investigative journalists who have been working on this story for four years, interviewing hundreds of sources who knew or worked with Brand, would be the first to remind the public that theirs was not an official criminal investigation. That due process is the central tenet of justice.
“Trying to bypass that process will wreck the lives of the innocent and, where there is guilt, harm, above all, the victims’ cases.”
Russell is accused by four women in The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches joint investigation.
On Monday, the Metropolitan Police said they had since received an allegation of sexual assault in Soho, London from 2003.
The comedian has denied all accusations against him and said all his relationships have been consensual.
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As part of a lengthy video, he also claimed the “very serious allegations” came amid “a litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks”, such as against his channel.
Piers has also shared his thoughts about the situation on his TalkTV show.
On Monday, he said he was “shocked” to hear about the allegations and had been in talks with Russell to do another interview before they came to light.
He also expressed his views on the “court of public opinion” as he stressed that, while Russell is accused, he has not been convicted.
“I do think there’s a real danger, we saw it with Cliff Richard, we saw it with a young man I interviewed a few months ago who was a victim of a total fantasist who ended up doing two months on remand… I’m not saying that’s the case here, they might all be absolutely telling the truth.
“It’s certainly very compelling and convincing, but they remain allegations and he’s entitled to defend himself,” he added.
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