WORST IN ME, CLAIMS BRAND QUIT FAME
by KATE NELSON RUSSELL Brand claims he has “resigned from fame” in a tribute post to pal Caroline Flack.
The comic said celebrity life “brought out the worst” in him in a sprawling essay to his 1.8million Instagram fans after the star killed herself aged 40.
He claimed his mental health suffered in the limelight and begged people to be nicer to each other on social media.
Russell, 44, wrote: “I have resigned from fame because it brought out the worst in me – vanity, insecurity, jealousy, competitiveness.
“Most people I’ve spoken comparable experiences.
“It’s hard to endure what does to your mental health.”
Angry
to have celebrity
Despite his claims, Brand is still promoting a tour and appeared on stage at a celeb-filled tribute to rock band Aerosmith in Los Angeles last week.
He is also starring in a new Sky series with Sir Michael Caine.
The activist, who lives in LA, paid tribute to his “lovely little” friend Caroline.
He said: “I am angry and sad that Caroline Flack found herself in that place. She was a real laugh, a dynamo. The idea that she had been so drained of hope by her circumstances chokes me.”
Brand also pleaded with people to help each other, saying: “We can never see the positive impact of our actions, the times when our kindness and compassion may have saved a life, but we can see what happens in its absence.”
In the wake of Caroline’s death, some celebrities have started scaling back their social media presence.
Corrie star Tina O’Brien, 36, said she was ditching Instagram, writing: “I’m detoxing from this toxic relationship.”