Brand says rape accusations are a ‘painful, hurtful attack’

RUSSELL BRAND described allegations of rape against him as a “painful, hurtful attack” as he praised notorious conspiracy theorists in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

Brand, 48, was interviewed by Carlson, the former Fox News host, in a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday.

The comedian and actor addressed claims made against him during the exchange with the former news anchor.

Brand has been questioned by Scotland Yard detectives in relation to nine historic sex offence allegations.

They had launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from a woman following a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches. There have been no arrests, and Brand has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

In the interview with Carlson, Brand doubled down on his denials.

He said: “I reject the allegations in the strongest possible terms. I am aware that I have put myself in an extremely vulnerable position by being very, very promiscuous. That is not the kind of conduct that I endorse and certainly not how I would live now. To be accused of what I consider to be the most appalling crimes is very, very painful and very hurtful. But I am being shown that there is a cost and there are consequences for the rather foolish way I lived in the past.”

Brand then began talking about David Icke, the former sports reporter who claims he is the son of God and that the world is run by reptiles.

Brand described his views as “marginal” and “difficult to corroborate”, but went on to praise him for being “ahead of the curve” in recognising existential global issues.

He said: “It terrifies me to contemplate that people like Alex Jones and in our country, David Icke, appear to have been ahead of the curve.”

Brand said it was “extraordinary” that Jones, a US conspiracy theorist who was successfully sued for calling the Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax, and Icke had been talking about “globalisation” and “authoritarianism” for three decades.

Icke has faced allegations of Holocaust denial after publishing a book in which he claimed prominent Jewish families “helped finance Adolf Hitler”.