Russell Brand's dad, Ron Brand, has criticised the media coverage of allegations made against his son after the comedian was accused of rape and sexual assault in a Channel 4 documentary.
Multiple women have come forward to accuse Brand of inappropriate behaviour during the years of 2006 and 2013, when he was a household name in comedy, a TV presenter and a film star.
Brand has disputed the 'serious criminal allegations' and claimed he was the subject of a 'co-ordinated attack' as the allegations were laid out in a report published by The Times and The Sunday Times, as well as in Channel 4's Dispatches.
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After being made public over the weekend, the allegations were picked up across the globe by multiple news outlets, making headline news.
Brand's dad has since criticised the attention around the 'unproven' allegations, writing: "Is this seriously the most important thing happening in this world? Immigrants? Cost of living? 10s of thousands killed in Ukraine? Who is prioritising at BBC News. Who is really driving this vendetta?"
Per the Mail Online, Ron continued: "With many struggling to pay bills. The unproven accusations of 15 years ago take lead on BBC News?"
Brand has previously revealed that his dad exposed him to sex workers when he was 17 years old, when the father and son took a trip to Hong Kong.
Writing in his 2007 autobiography My Booky Wook, the comedian described receiving oral sex from a sex worker while his dad was on the adjacent bed with two other women.
Brand continued: "In the course of the rest of that holiday, I had sex with loads more prostitutes; always got a hard on, never wore a condom, and never fell in love. In Bangkok, when bar girls in Patpong left their posts to follow me down the street, cooing and touching my hair, I felt that I had my dad's unequivocal approval."
The BBC has joined Channel 4 in investigating the claims made against Brand in the documentary, releasing a statement to say it was 'urgently looking into the issues raised'.
Brand worked for two years as a presenter on BBC's 6 Music and Radio 2 during the period in which some of his alleged assaults took place. He also hosted Big Brother's Big Mouth, which aired on Channel 4's sister station E4.
Channel 4 has asked production company Endemol to 'investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us'.
The broadcaster is also conducting its own internal investigation, adding: "We will be writing to all our current suppliers reminding them of their responsibilities under our code of conduct."
In response to the allegations, Brand has argued that he has previously been open about his 'promiscuous' behaviour when he was 'working in the mainstream'.
He continued: "During that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm–2.30pm and 7pm– 9.30pm every day. Alternatively, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on their website or on their free helpline 0808 800 5005, open 9am–5pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 8am–8pm Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10am–2pm Saturdays
Topics: Celebrity, Russell Brand, TV and Film, UK News, Crime
Emily Brown