The BBC has apologized to those individuals who felt unable to raise concerns about Russell Brand‘s behavior, as a new report reveals staff in the LA bureau “joked about” an incident in which the comedian is alleged to have followed a woman into a bathroom and shown her his penis.
“The review considered eight complaints of misconduct about Russell Brand, only two of which were made while he was engaged by the BBC, one formally and one informally,” said the BBC of the just-released review carried out by Peter Johnston. “It is of great concern that some of these individuals felt unable to raise concerns about Russell Brand’s behaviour at the time, and the BBC has apologised to them as part of this review. ”
The 15-page review examines a number of complaints in depth and why they weren’t taken seriously more quickly. Brand’s alleged behavior was exposed by a Channel 4–Sunday Times expose nearly 18 months ago. The comedian, who worked on BBC and Channel 4 shows, vehemently denies all claims and has said all of his relationships were consensual.
The report homes in on an incident in which a woman it calls “Olivia” alleges Brand followed her into a bathroom and showed her his penis moments before pre-recording a show.
He then agreed on-air with the apparently jokey suggestion, made by another individual on-air with him, that he had exposed himself to a woman 25 minutes earlier.
Olivia was only emboldened to formally complain more than 10 years later and Johnston’s report suggested that it was “fairly common knowledge” in the BBC LA Bureau for years. “I have heard it was often “joked about,” which is unacceptable for something so serious,” wrote Johnston.
“Olivia is understandably concerned about the management accountability for what happened, disappointed that no-one came back to her in a satisfactory way in 2019 having finally raised the concern and is most concerned about why no-one picked up on the on-air reference in 2008,” added the report. “My finding is that the compliance process in place for pre-recorded shows around the time of
the original broadcast did not do what it was supposed to in respect of this episode.”
The incident would have taken place around the time that Brand was ‘cracking’ Hollywood. He starred in hit comedy series Forgetting Sarah Marshall in 2008 and his career was very much on an upward trajectory.
Johnston’s review was ordered following the investigation and is one of three into Brand alongside probes by Channel 4 and Big Brother producer Banijay, which worked with Brand on Big Brother’s Big Mouth when some incidents are alleged to have taken place.
