Shared Friday on the actor’s Instagram, the recorded statement sees Russell Brand unequivocally denying the allegations of rape and sexual assault made against him, which he feels may be part of a targeted attack against him for reasons he did not explicitly outline. He compared himself and his situation to podcast host Joe Rogan and the controversy that briefly clouded his show after he defended the use of Ivermectin to fight COVID-19 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Amidst his denial of the allegations — which he dismissed as having been consensual sexual encounters during a period of transparent “promiscuity” — Brand quoted several of his followers, whose comments had supposedly warned him of this perceived conspiratorial retribution. “It seems to me there is a serious and concerted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kinds of voices — and I mean my voice along with your voice,” Brand said.
He concluded his message by urging his fans to “stay close, stay awake, but, more important than any of that, stay free.”
