Russell Brand has described rape allegations against him as "hurtful attacks."
The comedian has addressed the claims directly for the first time since they were made in September 2023.
"Of course, I deny any allegations… that have been advanced,” he told Tucker Carlson on the X show. “I reject the allegations in the strongest possible terms.”
He added: “I put myself in a vulnerable position by being very promiscuous. Attacks like this, being accused of what I consider to be the most appalling crimes, is very painful and hurtful. But there are consequences to the foolish way I lived in the past.”
He also revealed that when the claims were made public, his baby was undergoing heart surgery.
“My son was born with a heart condition; while this was happening, he was undergoing heart surgery at 12 weeks old,” he told Carlson.
The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star believes the backlash against him is a “deliberate, profound attempt to shut down any dissent in an astonishingly aggressive way.”
The 48-year-old was taken off primetime TV after the accusations came to light, his YouTube channel’s revenue stream was suspended, and he was forced to cancel his sold-out comedy gigs.
However, fans are still signing up to hear what he has to say. His "off-grid empire" on Rumble reportedly makes him around $32,000 (£25,000) a week, according to The Sun.
Russell has been married to wife Laura, since 2017. They have two daughters, Mabel, eight, and Peggy, five, and a son who was born in June last year.
The comedian has addressed the claims directly for the first time since they were made in September 2023.
"Of course, I deny any allegations… that have been advanced,” he told Tucker Carlson on the X show. “I reject the allegations in the strongest possible terms.”
He added: “I put myself in a vulnerable position by being very promiscuous. Attacks like this, being accused of what I consider to be the most appalling crimes, is very painful and hurtful. But there are consequences to the foolish way I lived in the past.”
He also revealed that when the claims were made public, his baby was undergoing heart surgery.
“My son was born with a heart condition; while this was happening, he was undergoing heart surgery at 12 weeks old,” he told Carlson.
The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star believes the backlash against him is a “deliberate, profound attempt to shut down any dissent in an astonishingly aggressive way.”
The 48-year-old was taken off primetime TV after the accusations came to light, his YouTube channel’s revenue stream was suspended, and he was forced to cancel his sold-out comedy gigs.
However, fans are still signing up to hear what he has to say. His "off-grid empire" on Rumble reportedly makes him around $32,000 (£25,000) a week, according to The Sun.
Russell has been married to wife Laura, since 2017. They have two daughters, Mabel, eight, and Peggy, five, and a son who was born in June last year.