The Brand backers: From Elon Musk to Laurence Fox and Andrew Tate… who is standing up for rape-accused British comic after Dispatches documentary?

Elon Musk, Andrew Tate and Laurence Fox are among a group of public figures appearing to back Russell Brand after he denied allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.

Last night, Brand, 48, was accused of harming four women, with the alleged incidents said to take place during the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.

One includes the sexual assault of a 16-year-old school girl, while another woman claimed she was raped in Brand’s Los Angeles home in 2013. 

The comedian has strongly denied the allegations and took to his own social media accounts ahead of the bombshell investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ‘absolutely deny’ the ‘very serious criminal allegations made against him’.

Brand went on to claim that he had become the victim of a ‘co-ordinated media attack’ which saw billionaire tech mogul Musk as well as self-proclaimed misogynist and YouTuber Tate seemingly rally around him.

Russell Brand, 48, was accused of harming four women, with the alleged incidents said to take place during the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.

YouTuber and self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate took to X yesterday to seemingly show his support for Brand 

Tate took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: ‘On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations’

In a separate Tweet responding to Brand’s video he called the allegations made against the comedian a ‘Matrix attack’

Appearing to support Brand, Tate said ‘Welcome to the club Russell Brand’ accompanied by a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: ‘On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations’.

Tate, who is currently facing charges of rape and human trafficking – which he has denied – in a separate Tweet responded to Brand’s video calling it a ‘Matrix attack’.

Meanwhile, Tesla and X owner Musk, also appeared to back the under fire star’s comments on the media. He said: ‘Of course. They don’t like competition.’ 

As more details surrounding the shocking investigation emerged, including allegations that the BBC and Channel 4 knew of his ‘sinister’ behaviour towards women Brand also seemed to garner support from actor Laurence Fox.

He posted a video questioning the allegations raised against Brand, the Telegraph reported. 

Fox said: ‘It’s fascinating to see some parts of the legacy media talking about Russell Brand like we are going to believe anything they say about anything.

‘Whatever Russell Brand got up to, and I can guarantee it because I was around, everything he would have done, would have been sort of acceptable.

Actor Laurence Fox posted a video questioning the allegations made against Brand 

Elon Musk appeared to back Brand’s video, ahead of the report, taking to X to respond, telling the comedian ‘They don’t like competition’

Responding to the Tweet, tech mogul Elon Musk told Brand: ‘Of course. They don’t like competition’ 

The allegations were made by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 gathered from a year-long investigation 

Brand took to his YouTube channel last night to ‘absolutely deny’ what he called ‘serious allegations’ 

Kirsty Gallacher (left) had shown her support for her brother-in-law Russell Brand when he first shared his video, but following the allegations, it was removed. Pictured: Kirsty with her sister Laura Brand 

The Smooth Radio presenter shared Brand’s video on her Instagram story with a large red love heart, however, a few hours later and after the investigation was published in full at 4pm BST, the post vanished from her Instagram stories, suggesting she had deleted it

‘Because otherwise his producers would have called him out and fired him.

‘Now that may be an uncomfortable thing to deal with for people but that’s how the world was then.’

Last night, the Met Police said it had been made ‘aware’ of media reports about ‘a series of allegations of sexual assault’ and urged any alleged victims to come forward.

Brand had rushed to post his video denying the allegations before the newspaper and television channel had revealed them.

His sister-in-law, model and TV star Kirsty Gallacher, initially appeared to be in support of Brand, who is married to her younger sister Laura.

She shared his video to her Instagram story with a huge red love heart – but just a few hours after the full investigation was published the post, which remains up for 24 hours, had disappeared.

The allegations, however, had led to an outcry from some of those within the stand-up industry who said more could be done to prevent ‘predatory behaviour’. 

Mock of the Week presenter Jo Caulfield took to X this morning, writing: ‘In whatever industry you work in, keep speaking out. 

‘Predatory behaviour and abuse is wrong. … It’s a tragic and age old story and it has to stop.’

Meanwhile, British comedian Sofie Hagen also spoke out against alleged lurid behaviour within the industry.

She wrote: ‘In my current show, I briefly talk about a comedian who was once preying on a 16 year old girl AND IT WASN’T EVEN RUSSELL BRAND. It was ANOTHER ONE.

‘The internet is flooded with statistics and examples of what happens to victims who report sexual assault or people that speak out against predators, so if it bugs you that we all keep talking about unnamed predators, then know, it probably bugs us too that they’re unnamed.’

Their comments come after Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss claimed that women within the industry would warn each other about Brand.

Comedian Daniel Sloss has claimed women would warn each other of Russell Brand and his behaviour

Sloss was the only person on Channel 4’s Dispatches documentary who did not conceal his identity.

He told how there were ‘many stories with varying degrees of severity’ about Brand that came from a number of different people in the comedy circuit.

‘Female comedians even spoke of him in WhatsApp groups which they use to tell each other of which comedians or agents to avoid. ‘I know for many many years women have been warning each other about Russell,’ he said.

Sloss said many people within the comedy industry knew of allegations against him.

He said: ‘He was a big name, big big household name. If you were a comedian and got to gig with him you’d be gigging with a celebrity.

‘I’m stood in bars with agents, promoters, channel commissioners and I’m hearing these allegations and rumours with Russell in the same room, and later on he would be on a movie, on a television show, he would be hosting something. He was still being employed.’

The comedian went on to launch an attack on those higher up within the media industry, accusing some of turning a blind eye.

Brand (pictured in 2008) said that during his ‘time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual’ and that he was ‘always transparent about that’

Last night, comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse of four women following a bombshell investigation. Pictured: Brand leaving Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north London following a live performance of his show

Brand (pictured with a couple of years ago with his wife Laura in Bath) said he had received two ‘extremely disturbing letters’ from a ‘mainstream media TV company’ and a newspaper 

‘Questions that should have been asked about Russell before he was employed for certain things, I do not believe they were asked.

‘I know that there are comedians who did references in jokes to Russell’s alleged crimes and have either been asked or told not to do those jokes anymore,’ Sloss said.

Both Channel 4 and the BBC insisted they took all necessary steps over him, but executives could still be called before a Government select committee where MPs will grill them over what they knew. 

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘The circumstances of the breach were reviewed in detail at the time. We hope that demonstrates that the BBC takes issues seriously and is prepared to act.

‘We will always listen to people if they come forward with any concerns, on any issue related to any individual working at the BBC, past or present.’

Brand left the broadcaster following a serious editorial breach in 2008 after he and Jonathan Ross called Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs during Brand’s show.

The pair left crude messages on his answerphone – including bragging about sex with Sachs’s granddaughter Georgina Baillie, with whom he had a brief relationship. 

In a statement, Channel 4 said: ‘Channel 4 is appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations, including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007.

‘We are determined to understand the full nature of what went on. We have carried out extensive document searches and have found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4. We will continue to review this in light of any further information we receive, including the accounts of those affected individuals.

‘We will be asking the production company who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.

‘In the many years since the alleged incidents took place, there has obviously been extensive change in Channel 4’s management and commissioning teams. Today, Channel 4 has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour and has a robust Code of Conduct. We require all suppliers to have in place rigorous safeguarding policies and provide whistleblowing support, including Channel 4’s Speak Up facility.

‘We are committed to ensuring our industry has safe, inclusive and professional working environments.’

Russell Brand’s comments in full:  

Hello there you awakening wonders. Now this is not the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption because in this story I am the news.

I have received two extremely disturbing letters – or a letter and an email – one from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid stuff, like my community festival should be stopped and I shouldn’t be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel.

But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. These allegations pertain to a time when I was in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I’ve written about extensively in my books I was very, very promiscuous.

During that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well.

And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play. 

Particularly when we have seen coordinated media attacks before, like Joe Rogan where he dared to take a medicine the mainstream media didn’t approve of and we saw a spate of headlines of media outlets around the world using the same language.

I am aware that you guys in the comments have been for a while saying ‘watch out Russell, they’re coming for you,’ ‘you are getting too close to the truth’, ‘Russell Brand did not kill himself’.’

I know a year ago there was a spate of articles: Russell Brand is a conspiracy theorists; Russell Brand is right wing.

I am aware of newspapers making phone calls, sending letters to people I know. For ages and ages, it’s been clear to me or at least feels to be there’s a serious and consorted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kind of voices.

I need my voice along with your voice. I don’t mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious, criminal allegations.

Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.

Now, I don’t want to get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations but I feel like I’m being attacked and plainly they are working very closely together.

We are obviously going to look into this matter because it is very, very serious. 

In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake but more importantly than any of that, if you can stay free.