Brand conviction shines light on entertainment industry’s culture of silence

Nov 5 (Reuters) – Russell Brand’s conviction for sex ⁠crimes has renewed scrutiny of how Britain’s entertainment industry has treated high-profile performers accused of abusing their power, with some women saying they feared speaking out could damage their careers

The British comedian and ⁠actor was convicted on Thursday of one count of rape and three sexual assaults near the height of his fame in the mid-2000s, when he worked for Channel 4 and the BBC. ‌Three of the four victims had worked in the media industry.

Some of the women who came across Brand in a professional capacity told the jury they did not report him at the time because of his stature, saying they thought they would not be believed or that it could damage their careers.

“What we’ve seen as well as a group of entitled men behaving badly is that they’ve been enabled to do that historically because they are so-called … ‘talent’,” Caroline Frost, TV editor of the Radio Times, told Reuters.

“They bring crowds, they bring audiences, they ​bring money. And that gives them a lot of power and a lot of status that they don’t deserve, so their celebrity is ⁠writing cheques that their moral compasses cannot cash.”

CHANNEL 4 SAYS ITS THOUGHTS ARE WITH ⁠VICTIMS

One of the sexual assaults Brand was found guilty of took place in 2009 in front of two producers, who told the woman that Brand would only continue working if she gave him a massage, during ⁠which ‌Brand put his face in her crotch.

The woman – who complained to her line manager at Channel 4 at the time – said in evidence that the producers did not help, describing a “culture of fear” around stars and a general tolerance of sexist “banter” at the time.

A Channel 4 spokesperson said in a statement: “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.”

The channel’s then CEO in 2024 had apologised that the 2009 sexual assault was “not escalated ​to Channel 4’s then senior management team”.

While the incidents took place around ‌two decades ago, Brand’s case has echoes of more recent scandals.

Brand tried to have the case against him dismissed in the days before the trial started, arguing that, because of the publicity around ⁠it, he could not receive a ​fair hearing. He denied the charges and ever having non-consensual sex.

Laura Nelson, from the Metropolitan Police, said Brand was a sexual predator who abused his power throughout his career “and he’s been emboldened the more and more famous that he’s become”.

“I think there are other victims out there,” she told Reuters.

VICTIM TOLD COURT ‘MEDIA INDUSTRY PROTECTS ITS OWN’

The global #MeToo movement has exposed men accused of sexual harassment in fields including entertainment, politics and business, kicking off in earnest after Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein was fired from his production company ⁠in 2017.

Weinstein, who has denied the allegations against him, was jailed for 15 years in September for sexual assault.

Brand’s conviction ​makes him one of the most high-profile British figures to be found guilty since the #MeToo movement swept the industry.

One of Brand’s victims, who accused Brand of grabbing her breasts and then orally raping her in 2004, said she did not report it partly because “the media industry protects its own”.

Another woman, who alleged Brand tried to drag her into the toilets at MTV in 2001, cited Brand’s status, telling jurors: “I’ve got a mortgage to pay, so what’s the point of ⁠making life hard for myself?” Brand was acquitted of that charge.

Brand separately faces a lawsuit in the US which alleges that in 2010 he exposed his penis to an extra on the set of “Arthur” and then sexually assaulted her in a toilet cubicle, while a crew member allegedly stood guard outside. He has denied wrongdoing.

The lawsuit is also being brought against the producers Warner Bros., which denies liability and tried to have the case thrown out. A judge rejected that move this month.

BRAND CASE REFLECTS INDUSTRY ISSUE

Allegations against Brand first came to light in a 2023 documentary, which prompted the six complainants in the trial to go to the police. It also triggered internal reviews at the ​BBC and production company Banijay, which had acquired the company which produced Channel 4 shows presented by Brand.

The review by the BBC, which has been dogged by ⁠several scandals about its biggest stars, found that staff felt unable to raise complaints about Brand’s inappropriate behaviour when he worked there between 2006 and 2008.

A BBC spokesperson hailed “the brave women who came forward and told their stories which ​led to a conviction”, adding: “There can be no place for the abuse of power.”

Banijay’s 2024 review found that no formal complaints were ever raised.

After ‌the initial report — coming after news presenter Huw Edwards’ conviction for child abuse images — the BBC’s then director ​general Tim Davie said there was an industry-wide issue.

The BBC and other broadcasters say they have all put in stronger duty-of-care protections now.

Detective Inspector Nelson said she hoped the conviction would be a “watershed moment” where any other victims would come forward.

“And I hope this case demonstrates that people will be believed,” she said.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin and Michael Holden; Additional reporting by Millie McCaughan; Editing by Alison Williams)