Russell Brand sued for alleged sexual assault in a bathroom on 'Arthur' set, reports say
Russell Brand is facing a lawsuit from a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was sexually assaulted by the British comedian on the set of the 2011 "Arthur" remake.
The woman accused Brand of being "intoxicated" on July 7, 2010, before exposing himself "in full view of the cast and crew," according to an affidavit filed Friday in the Supreme Court of New York, Suffolk County, which was obtained by People and the BBC.
Doe claims Brand sexually assaulted her in a bathroom later that same day "as a member of the production crew guarded the door from outside," according to the court documents.
The woman also alleges she was hired to work three days, but following the assault, she was not asked to return for a second and third day, nor paid for that time.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Brand and an attorney for Doe.
Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Bros. Discover, MBST Entertainment, BenderSpink and Langley Park Productions are also defendants.
Doe asked the courts to maintain her anonymity out of fear of retaliation. "I am terrified of being blacklisted in the industry or suffering other negative effects beyond what I already suffered if my name is associated with a sexual assault lawsuit against others in the industry," she stated in the filing. "I cannot bear to imagine my career that I love being jeopardized."
In an interview with The Sunday Times released Saturday, the woman said, "I felt used and abused. Disgusting is the only word. I felt like I was being used, that I was just an object for his momentary titillation."
Russell Brand is facing sexual assault claims by 4 other women, being investigated by police
Brand, 48, has already been accused of − and denied − allegations of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four other women who knew him over a seven-year period at the height of his fame.
In a joint investigation published Sept. 16, The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's Dispatches revealed the accusations, which included one woman alleging Brand raped her, while three others accused him of sexual assault.
Brand denied the allegations, maintaining all of his relationships have been consensual.
The woman in Friday's lawsuit told The Sunday Times she decided to pursue legal action after getting "strength" from reading about "other women's allegations" detailed to the outlet.
"Alone, I don’t think I would have felt able to. Hopefully, when other women see another woman putting what happened to her out there, they will find the strength deep inside themselves to speak out," she said.
The alleged victim also touched on the workplace culture on the set. "Everyone usually turns a blind eye to bad behavior on a set,” she said. “If I had come forward and said something to, say, even a production assistant on the set, what are they going to do?"
"Are they going to fire him? No," she said. "They’re not going to want to get rid of him."
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Doe's case is the first one to make it to the courtroom in the wake of the British media investigation. Separately, two British police forces are investigating sexual offenses allegedly committed by Brand.
Thames Valley Police is taking a fresh look at harassment and stalking allegations previously made by a woman against Brand between 2018 and 2022, the BBC and PA news agency said in October.
London’s Metropolitan Police said in September it was examining “a number of allegations of sexual offenses” relating to Brand following the media investigation.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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