Six additional women allege sexual misconduct by Russell Brand, report says

A report by the Times and the Sunday Times says six further women have accused Russell Brand, 51, of sexual misconduct and non-consensual behaviour. The allegations, which could not be published until after Brand’s criminal trial concluded, include a woman who said Brand initiated sex without a condom and continued despite her request to stop, after which he allegedly apologized in person and by text. Another woman, aged 19 in 2007, claimed she told Brand during intercourse that it was painful, but he did not stop. A fan who met Brand after a 2013 performance in San Francisco said he forced his hand down her trousers. A woman who met him at a 2005 music festival alleged he offered payment for sex. An interview guest from 2006 reportedly said Brand asked her to lick a toilet seat and became angry when she refused. A staff member at a London venue in 2015 allegedly told a woman that Brand wanted her, leading to an encounter in a disabled toilet where Brand claimed he needed toilet paper but then grabbed her. The newspapers state that extensive steps were taken to corroborate the claims and that none of the sources were paid. Brand’s legal team was contacted after his conviction on Monday; his lawyer said he would consider injunctive relief but did not provide a response before an agreed deadline passed. Brand has previously denied wrongdoing, maintaining that all his relationships were consensual. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the media industry must examine its practices and protect women and girls in the wake of Brand’s rape conviction and related allegations against other public figures.