Russell Brand accuser ‘Alice’ calls for change in law to stop ‘men in their 30s having sex with 16-year-old girls’ – as she claims comic demanded explicit ‘bath’ picture and described how her parents were powerless to stop pair from dating
- ‘Alice’ has spoken further about the relationship she had with Russell Brand
The 16-year-old schoolgirl who has accused Russell Brand of sexually assaulting her when he was 31 has called for changes to consent laws.
The woman, who is now 33, has also opened up about how the comic allegedly demanded explicit photos of her in the bath, which she refused to send, while she described how her parents were powerless to stop the pair from dating.
Brand, 48, is facing rape and sexual assault allegations from four women, including one who claims he raped at his Los Angeles home after she refused a threesome. He denies the claims and maintains all relationships he has had have been consensual.
The 16-year-old accuser, who is being called Alice, has also revealed how she felt compelled to finally speak out against the actor and comedian due to the ‘gnawing guilt’ that he could be targeting others.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, who first revealed the allegations in a joint investigation with The Times and Channel 4 dispatches, Alice said: ‘When Russell and I began texting, he asked me to send some photos of myself in the bath.’
The 16-year-old schoolgirl who has accused Russell Brand of sexually assaulting her when he was 31 has revealed that she refused the comic’s request to send him explicit photos of herself in the bath. Pictured: An actor portraying ‘Alice’
Brand, 48, is facing rape and sexual assault allegations from four women, including one who claims he raped at his Los Angeles home after she refused a threesome
She claimed he asked her to send the photos in 2006, adding: ‘I didn’t oblige. When I told him my age, before our first date, he asked me never to send him any nude photographs.’
READ MORE: Men are more likely to think sex between a 16-year-old and a partner decades older is acceptable, says new poll after Russell Brand claims
That’s because it would have been a crime for Brand to receive sexually explicit photos of the teen, but he was legally allowed to date her.
Alice – who claims she was in an ’emotionally abusive and controlling relationship’ with Brand for three months – added: ‘There was nothing my parents could do to stop the relationship with Russell; no legal recourse.’
She recalled her mother trying to ground her and take her phone away and even going to Brand himself, but she pursed the relationship because she thought she was mature enough – something Brand allegedly convinced her.
Alice revealed how on their first date together, a waitress asked if they wanted to see a wine menu, she said she didn’t drink, only for Brand to joke that she wasn’t legally allowed to.
The comments come amid a growing debate around the appropriateness of older men dating much younger women.
Polling by Ipsos revealed 31 per cent of men believe it acceptable for a 30-year-old man to have sex with a 16-year-old girl, while just 15 per cent of women agree.
When it comes to a 16-year-old girl being in a sexual relationship with a man aged 50 or older, more than one in 10 men (13%) thought this was acceptable compared to 3% of women.
Alice – who alleged Brand ‘forced his penis down her throat’ and ‘made her choke’, only stopping after she punched him in the stomach – has suggested consideration needs to be given to ‘staggered consent’ in law ‘so that we don’t have adults exploiting a 16 [or] 17-year-old’s capacity for sexual determination’.
Russell Brand is seen posing with Burlesque dancers Vanessa and Valeria at The Brit Awards 2007 Valentine’s Day photocall, Earls Court, London, on 13 Feb 2007
On Saturday, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 ‘s Dispatches reported allegations of abusive and predatory behaviour including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse said to have been committed by the comedian between 2006 and 2013
Brand seen at BBC Radio 2 on December 5, 2014 in London. He denies all allegations
She explained her position to The Sunday Times today: ‘I believe 16 and 17-year-olds should be allowed to explore their sexuality but without undue influence from much older people. They should be able to make mistakes and learn from them, but it should be with an equal.
‘There should be staged consent — a change to the law. The age of consent could stay at 16, but I think it would be reasonable to recommend that it be a criminal offence for a person over the age of 21 to engage in sexual activities with someone under the age of 18.
‘By doing this we might be able to strike a balance between shielding teenagers from harm while respecting their sexual autonomy.’
Women were slightly more likely to support raising the age of consent than men and to feel that older men in relationships with at least a 10-year age gap hold more power.
It comes as it has emerged Brand was reportedly questioned by police in 2014 over claims he sexually assaulted a masseuse after she was hired to give him a £500 birthday massage.
The alleged victim reportedly told police she was ‘touched in a sexual way’ by Brand, 48, at a £5million mansion in Oxfordshire, which she said traumatised her.
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’
The allegations, reported by The Sun on Sunday, are the first known instance of the comedian being interviewed by police over sexual assault allegations.
The masseuse contacted Thames Valley Police, who interviewed Brand. The comedian denied any wrongdoing and the case was dropped.
In the wake of the four alleged victims speaking out, a fifth woman filed a report to the Metropolitan Police, claiming she was sexually assaulted by the star in Soho, London, in 2003.
The force are investigating the claims.
A sixth woman accused Brand of locking her in a dressing room and pinning her to sofa with a ‘glazed’ look on his face. The alleged incident, as reported in The Sun, was said to have taken place in 2008 when the comic was 33, after a gig in West London.
On Thursday a seventh woman came forward claiming Brand exposed himself to her in an office where BBC Los Angeles operated from in 2008, before going to pre-record a programme for Radio 2 where he appeared to joke about the alleged incident.
An eighth woman, who was named Sarah to protect her identity, has claimed the comic had left her feeling ‘vulnerable and intimidated’ after he allegedly refused to get her a taxi until she performed a sex act.
Brand has said the allegations made against him in the last week are part of a vendetta against him by the ‘mainstream’.
On Friday night, he released a video on social media channels thanking his followers for their ‘support and for questioning the information that you have been presented with’.
The BBC is also currently facing fresh questions over its role in the developing scandal as it investigates allegations over the comic’s behaviour during stints working for the broadcaster.
Russell Brand on Big Brother’s Little Brother on May 31, 2006. Brand presented Big Brother’s Big Mouth for three years before choosing not to return for the eighth series of the show
Russell Brand pictured on Saturday evening leaving the Troubadour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set
The BBC has launched an investigation into the new claims about Brand’s alleged behaviour in Los Angeles in 2008.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: ‘We’re very sorry to hear of these allegations and we will look into them.
‘We are conducting a review to look at allegations of this nature and if the woman who has shared her story is willing to speak to us, we would be very keen to hear from her and anyone else who may have information.
‘A key part of the review is to understand what complaints were made at the time, if there was knowledge of Russell Brand’s conduct while he worked on BBC radio, and what was done as a result.
‘We will, of course, speak to the bureau team and anyone who was working there in 2008 as part of this.
‘Further, the director-general has been very clear that some broadcasts from that period were, and are, inexcusable and totally unacceptable, and would never be aired today.’
Two former BBC bosses are also now facing fresh questions over their roles amid the wider investigation into Brand’s alleged wrongdoings while working for the radio.
Lesley Douglas, who was in charge of BBC Radio 2 during Brand’s stint, has been freed from confidentiality restrictions so her role can be examined.
New evidence will also ‘raise questions about the judgment of Sir Mark Thompson’, the BBC’s former director-general, according to The Sunday Times.
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