A second police investigation has been opened into comedian and actor Russell Brand, the BBC reported Monday, as the Thames Valley Police in England look into new allegations Brand harassed and stalked a woman between 2018 and 2022—weeks after the comedian was accused of sexual assault in a series of allegations he has denied.
Russell Brand attends the Pride of Britain awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel on October 6, 2014 in ... [+]
The investigation is based on "new information" that was given to the police by the accuser two weeks ago, the Thames Valley Police—which polices several counties west of London—told the BBC, adding that the new accuser apparently contacted police to report the behavior several times over the five year span, "but no further action was taken."
Brand also accused the woman of harassment in 2017, according to the BBC.
The Thames Valley Police inquiry is in addition to an investigation launched by the Metropolitan Police in London, which said last week it has received a "number of allegations of sexual offences," pointing to a report by several British news outlets documenting claims of rape and sexual assault against the actor.
Brand said in a YouTube video he “absolutely refutes” the "very serious criminal allegations" against him, alleging a “coordinated attack” by the media.
The Thames Valley Police did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment Monday.
Four women accused Brand of sexual misconduct in an investigation released September 16 by The Times of London, The Sunday Times and public broadcast station Channel 4. The outlets say they spoke with hundreds of sources to corroborate the allegations, which included a claim by one woman that Brand raped her against a wall in his Los Angeles home in July 2012. Three other women accused him of sexual assault in the initial report and more have come forward since, the Metropolitan Police confirmed. Literary agency Tavistock Wood dropped him as a client in the wake of the scandal, and the Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird decided to "pause all future publishing" with Brand. The BBC has removed some of its programs featuring the comedian, YouTube has blocked him from making money on his 6.6-million-follower channel and stops of his "Bipolarisation" comedy tour in the U.K. and Australia have been canceled. The Trevi Women & Children’s Charity, a domestic abuse organization, has also ended its association with Brand and his charity, the addiction-related Stay Free Foundation.
Brand has repeatedly and adamantly denied the allegations. He called the claims "extraordinary and distressing" in his most recent video on the matter and thanked his supporters for “questioning” the allegations. Brand's father has also spoken up to defend his son and said the media has a "vendetta" against him. Brand has credited his father with sparking a sex addiction by paying for him to lose his virginity to a sex worker. The actor has long been open about his addiction struggles and “very very promiscuous" lifestyle at the height of his fame, but has said all of his relationships were "absolutely, always consensual."
London Police Investigating Sexual Assault Allegations Against Russell Brand (Forbes)
Russell Brand Accused Of Exposing Himself To A Woman And Then Laughing About It On Radio (Forbes)
Russell Brand Fallout Continues: Australian Tour Canceled As YouTube, BBC, Publisher Back Away (Forbes)