Russell Brand Survivor Attacks Channel 4 For Brushing Sexual Assault “Under Carpet”

A woman who was sexually assaulted by Russell Brand while working for Channel 4 has attacked the UK network for brushing her complaint under the carpet.

Brand, who hosted Big Brother’s Big Mouth for Channel 4, was last week convicted of assaulting the woman in 2009 by placing his head in her groin area and demanding a massage.

The woman, who has a lifelong right to anonymity, wrote a victim impact statement, which was read out in Southwark Crown Court by prosecution barrister Riel Karmy-Jones on Monday. Deadline has been reporting daily from a live video feed of the courtroom.

The survivor complained to her line manager the day after the incident, but the matter was not escalated at Channel 4 in 2009. She told court today that the offense was “brushed under the carpet by senior management” at the time.

The woman said there was a culture in which she felt like she had to keep quiet and carry on at Channel 4. She added that she felt her work environment was no longer safe, and that she needed colleagues in the room when working with people she did not know.

In 2024, Channel 4 apologized to the woman for failing to investigate her allegation adequately, as part of an investigation into whether its executives were aware of Brand’s conduct.

“That allegation was not passed up Channel 4’s senior management chain, nor investigated as it ought to have been in accordance with the procedures in place at the time,” Channel 4 said in 2024. “Channel 4 also acknowledges delays in its ongoing communications with the former employee in 2023 due to the length of its investigation. Channel 4 has apologised to the former Channel 4 staff member for the breakdown in 2009, communication delays in 2023 and the distress this matter has caused.”

The 2009 incident was witnessed by two of Brand’s male friends, including comedy producer Jack Bayles, who was accused of laughing at Brand’s request for a massage. On Monday, Karmy-Jones alleged that the two men “facilitated the offense,” which judge Mr Justice Bennathan corrected to “facilitated the massage.” Karmy-Jones accepted the correction.

Bayles said last week that he did not recall the 2009 sexual assault. “I clearly missed something at the time and did not see nor recognise that it caused distress. For that I am sincerely sorry,” he said. “I am appalled and sickened by Brand’s actions and have cooperated fully and voluntarily with the investigation and endeavoured to assist as best I can.”

He has since been dropped from James Corden and Ruth Jones’ new Apple TV series The Choir, the third season of the BBC’s Such Brave Girls, and another new BBC show, Push.

Channel 4 has been approached for comment. In a statement last week, the company said: “Our thoughts are first and foremost with the six women involved in the case against Russell Brand, including those affected by the crimes for which he has been convicted. We recognise the profound impact of these crimes and commend the extraordinary courage of all those who gave evidence as prosecution witnesses at trial.”

Four women gave victim impact statements in court on Monday, including one who claimed that she had received death threats since giving evidence against Brand. Brand will be sentenced to prison on Monday after being convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault.