NEW YORK—British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been accused by an unnamed actress of sexually assaulting her during the filming of the film “Arthur” in 2010 in New York, according to court documents revealed Friday.
The complaint filed before the New York State Supreme Court follows accusations by several women, and investigations in September and October by media and police in Britain, for rape, sexual assault and psychological violence.
Brand has rejected the previous allegations, saying his relationships had always been “consensual.” Those incidents had allegedly occurred between 2006 and 2013.
The New York complaint was filed by an anonymous “Jane Doe” and alleges that on July 7, 2010, “I was working on the set of the movie ‘Arthur’ when the lead actor Russell Brand sexually assaulted me.”
She said that Brand had appeared intoxicated, “smelled of alcohol, and was carrying a bottle of vodka on set.”
“He then exposed his penis to me on set and in full view of the cast and crew,” she said.
The complaint alleged that later the same day, Brand followed the actress into a bathroom “and assaulted me, as a member of the production crew guarded the door from outside.”
The complaint also targets Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Discovery, MBST Entertainment, BenderSpink, and Langley Park Pictures.
The actress said that as a result of the assault, “I suffered and continue to suffer extreme embarrassment, shame, and fear.”
She said that she had been booked for three days of work on the set, but that after the assault on the first day, she was not called back “and was only paid for one day of work.”
“I still maintain my career as an actor, and I am terrified of being blacklisted in the industry,” she added.
She said she also feared retaliation from Brand’s millions of fans, followers and subscribers to his social networks, in which the 48-year-old has become an anti-establishment celebrity in recent years. AFP
