Russell Brand has issued a statement concerning recent rape and sexual assault charges.
The comedian and actor, who has been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault, addressed the matter on Friday via Instagram Stories.
“My response,” he wrote in one post before explaining his stance in a video statement. He began with gratitude for the “incredible and overwhelming messages of support” he received amid the scandal.
“We’re very fortunate, I suppose, that this is happening at a time where we know that the law has become a kind of weapon to be used against people, institutions, and sometimes entire nations,” he said, “that will not accept and tolerate levels of corruption that are unprecedented.”
He then asked his British followers about how they feel about their legal system and “the high-profile cases that are not being pursued and prosecuted”, name-dropping the Southport murders and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
He then addressed the charges, saying, “I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an imbecile, but what I never was, was a rapist,” he stated.
“I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
“I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that,” he concluded.
Brand is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 2 but he is believed to be in the United States.
