Russell Brand accuser identifies herself and calls for consent-age reform

Mia Latter, now 37, told the Sunday Times that she had a three-month relationship with comedian Russell Brand when she was 16 and he was 30. She said the alleged abuse disrupted her education, causing her to drop out of school before taking her A-levels. Latter described frequent absences from school as she "sneaked off and see[ed] him" and said the experience left her with lasting depression.

Latter is the first of Brand’s accusers to publicly disclose her identity after being identified only as "Alice" in a 2023 investigation. Although she reported the allegations to police, her case was not included in the trial that resulted in Brand’s conviction earlier this month.

"If you’re in your thirties, forties and fifties and you’re trying to have a relationship with someone under the age of 18, it should be a criminal offense," Latter said, advocating for a staggered age-of-consent law that would prohibit significantly older adults from sexual relationships with 16- and 17-year-olds.

Latter recounted meeting Brand in Leicester Square, after which he contacted her and arranged a date. She said Brand reportedly told her, "I don’t give a f–k how old you are. I just need to know where I stand legally," and later took her to his apartment. She alleged that Brand performed oral sex on her after initially promising not to.

She also claimed Brand referred to her as "the child" to his team, warned her against sending explicit photos, and later forced her into sexual acts she described as non-consensual. Latter said the relationship ended after about three months when she was denied entry to his home and discovered other women present.

Since the trial, Latter, who is married with a daughter, has focused on campaigning for consent-age reform and expressed gratitude to the women whose testimony contributed to Brand’s conviction.

"They put him away. Some women didn’t get the guilty verdict, but it was definitely a team effort, and I will forever be grateful to them," she said.

Russell Brand, who denied the allegations, was sentenced to 10½ years in prison on November 5 for multiple sexual offenses and is currently held at HMP Wandsworth pending possible transfer.