The ‘truth’ about Russell Brand

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy By now, everyone is aware that Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse – allegations that he strongly denies. In his very first video – released a day before the news broke of a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches – Brand said the allegations “make me question is there another agenda at play?” He goes on to say, “I’m aware that you guys have been saying in the comments for a while ‘watch out Russell they're coming for you’, ‘you're getting too close to the truth’.” Which begs the question – what truth? Another grim truth is, if you were an all-powerful deep state and wanted to cancel someone because they posed a serious threat, you wouldn’t accuse them of rape, because not enough people care about it. In addition to this, within 48 hours of the Brand Sunday Times article being published, another headline made the news – “Met Police investigating 1,600 officers and staff over alleged abuse against women” – which might indicate the police are perhaps not the most approachable organisation.