Russell Brand describes rape claims as ‘painful, hurtful attack’ in Tucker Carlson interview
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Russell Brand has described rape allegations made against him as a “painful, hurtful attack” as he praised conspiracy theorists in an interview with Tucker Carlson.
Brand, 48, appeared in an interview with Carlson, the former Fox News host, in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday night.
Mr Carlson was taken off air in April after Fox Corp settled a $787.5 million (£618.5 million) defamation lawsuit. The exact reason for his departure is not yet known.
Brand has been questioned by Scotland Yard detectives in relation to nine historic sex offence allegations. In September last year, he was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse against several different women.
Police launched an investigation into Brand after receiving a complaint from a woman following a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches. There have been no arrests, and Brand has denied any wrongdoing.
In the interview with Carlson, Brand doubled down on his denials of the allegations against him. He said: “Of course I deny any allegations... that have been advanced. I reject the allegations in the strongest possible terms.
“I am aware that I have put myself in an extremely vulnerable position by being very, very promiscuous. That is not the kind of conduct that I endorse and it is certainly not how I would live now.”
He said: “To be accused of what I consider to be the most appalling crimes is very very painful and very hurtful. But I am being shown that there is a cost and there are consequences for the rather foolish way I lived in the past.
“Though of course to reiterate I deny any allegations of the kind that have been advanced,” Brand added.
Brand claimed his 12-week-old son was undergoing heart surgery while the ITV documentary was aired and said realising the importance of family helped him through that difficult time. “I mention my son because throughout it I was able to maintain what is really important in life,” he said.
Brand praises conspiracy theorists
Brand then began talking about David Icke, a conspiracy theorist who claims he is the son of God and that reptiles run the world. Icke has been deplatformed for spreading misinformation.
His views were described by Brand as “marginal” and “difficult to corroborate”, before Brand praised him for being “ahead of the curve” in recognising existential global issues.
He said: “It terrifies me to contemplate that people like Alex Jones and in our country, David Icke, appear to have been ahead of the curve.”
Brand said it was “extraordinary” that Jones, an American conspiracy theorist, and Icke had been talking about “globalisation” and “authoritarianism” for three decades.
Icke has faced allegations of holocaust denial after publishing a book titled And the Truth Shall Set You Free in 1995, in which he claimed prominent Jewish families “helped finance Adolf Hitler”.
Brand and Icke have known each other for around 20 years.
Jones is well known for his denials concerning the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting which saw 20 children killed. He was also criticised for hosting guests such as Kanye West on his podcast InfoWars, where the rapper admitted he “liked Hitler”.
