U.K. police open sexual offences investigation after allegations about Russell Brand
LONDON -
British police have opened a sex crimes investigation triggered by news reports about comedian Russell Brand.
London's Metropolitan Police force said Monday that it had "received a number of allegations of sexual offences" after a television documentary and newspaper investigations. It said there have been no arrests.
Brand, 48, denies allegations of sexual assault made by four women in a Channel 4 television documentary and The Times and Sunday Times newspapers. The accusers, who have not been named, include one who said she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with him when she was 16. Another woman says Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012.
The police force did not name Brand in its statement, but referred to the recent articles and documentary. It said detectives were investigating allegations of "non-recent" sexual offences, both in London and elsewhere.
"We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us," said Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Met's Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation.
Known for his unbridled and risque standup routines, Brand was a major U.K. star in the early 2000s. He hosted shows on radio and television, wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.
Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media but has built up a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories.
Last week YouTube said it would stop Brand from making money from the streaming site, where he has 6.6 million subscribers, due to the "serious allegations" against him.
Promoters also cancelled several scheduled live shows by Brand, and he has been dropped by his talent agency and a publisher since the allegations became public.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mother of 2 and 4 exchange students identified as victims killed in crash in Huntsville, Ont.
The woman killed in a head-on collision in Huntsville over the weekend that also claimed the lives of four teenagers has been identified.
How Western Canada's sugar shortage is affecting bakeries, chocolatiers
Amid an ongoing strike at Western Canada's largest sugar refinery, bakery owners and chocolatiers are finding it hard to locate the amounts of sugar they need to keep their businesses going as we head into the holiday season.
Danielle Smith invokes sovereignty act on green electricity, concedes it's for symbolic effect
Premier Danielle Smith invoked Alberta’s sovereignty act on Monday to implement new measures in her fight against Ottawa’s looming clean electricity rules while conceding she didn't need the act to put the changes in place.
Sandy Hook families offer to settle Alex Jones' US$1.5 billion legal debt for a minimum of US$85 million
Sandy Hook families who won nearly US$1.5 billion in legal judgments against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for calling the 2012 Connecticut school shooting a hoax have offered to settle that debt for only pennies on the dollar -- at least US$85 million over 10 years.
Trump says he will renew efforts to replace 'Obamacare' if he wins a second term
Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened over the weekend to reopen the contentious fight over the Affordable Care Act after failing to repeal it while in the White House, saying he is "seriously looking at alternatives" if he wins a second term.
Six teens in court in connection with beheading of French teacher
Six teenagers go on trial behind closed doors on Monday in connection with the beheading of French history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020, a murder that shocked the country.
No injuries after plane destroyed in airport crash in Wawa, Ont.
The Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of investigators to northern Ontario following a crash on Monday that destroyed an aircraft.
B.C. boy dies by suicide after online sextortion: RCMP
Mounties in northern British Columbia are investigating after a 12-year-old boy died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an apparent case of online sextortion. Warning: This story is about a child who died by suicide and may be distrubing to readers.
The Last of Us named the 'largest series ever filmed in Canada'
The monumental effort it took to bring the first season of The Last of Us to the small screen paid off big time for Alberta, a new report says.
Canada
-
Mother of 2 and 4 exchange students identified as victims killed in crash in Huntsville, Ont.
The woman killed in a head-on collision in Huntsville over the weekend that also claimed the lives of four teenagers has been identified.
-
Danielle Smith invokes sovereignty act on green electricity, concedes it's for symbolic effect
Premier Danielle Smith invoked Alberta’s sovereignty act on Monday to implement new measures in her fight against Ottawa’s looming clean electricity rules while conceding she didn't need the act to put the changes in place.
-
B.C. boy dies by suicide after online sextortion: RCMP
Mounties in northern British Columbia are investigating after a 12-year-old boy died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an apparent case of online sextortion. Warning: This story is about a child who died by suicide and may be distrubing to readers.
-
How Western Canada's sugar shortage is affecting bakeries, chocolatiers
Amid an ongoing strike at Western Canada's largest sugar refinery, bakery owners and chocolatiers are finding it hard to locate the amounts of sugar they need to keep their businesses going as we head into the holiday season.
-
'Absolutely no talk' of moving Paul Bernardo to minimum security: corrections head
The commissioner of Correctional Service Canada says there is 'absolutely no talk' of moving notorious serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to an even lower security level, following his transfer into a medium-security prison.
-
Police search for suspect in Winnipeg shooting as fourth victim confirmed dead
Winnipeg police have confirmed a fourth person is dead after a shooting on Langside Street over the weekend. Investigators have yet to make an arrest but say the suspect is considered dangerous.
World
-
Suspect in shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent near the University of Vermont pleads not guilty
Three college students of Palestinian descent out for a walk in Vermont were seriously injured over the weekend when a man shot them at close range on a city street, an attack being investigated as a possible hate crime, authorities said Monday.
-
Rescuers use hand-held drills to free 41 workers trapped in an Indian road tunnel for over 2 weeks
Rescuers in India began digging manually Monday in hopes of reaching 41 construction workers who have been trapped in a collapsed mountain tunnel in the country's north for over two weeks.
-
Six teens in court in connection with beheading of French teacher
Six teenagers go on trial behind closed doors on Monday in connection with the beheading of French history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020, a murder that shocked the country.
-
Blinken will return to Israel as the U.S. hopes to see further extensions of the Gaza ceasefire
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return this week to the Middle East as the U.S. hopes to find a way to extend a ceasefire in Gaza and get more hostages released, the State Department said Monday.
-
Ukraine has a new way to get its grain to the world despite Russia's threat in the Black Sea
More grain is getting unloaded from overcrammed silos and heading to ports on the Black Sea, set to traverse a fledgling shipping corridor launched after Russia pulled out of a UN-brokered agreement this summer that allowed food to flow safely from Ukraine during the war.
-
Trump says he will renew efforts to replace 'Obamacare' if he wins a second term
Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened over the weekend to reopen the contentious fight over the Affordable Care Act after failing to repeal it while in the White House, saying he is "seriously looking at alternatives" if he wins a second term.
Politics
-
If Liberals need more time to deliver pharmacare bill, 'more results' expected: NDP
If the federal Liberals need more time to make good on their commitment to pass pharmacare legislation this year, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will be expecting 'more results,' in exchange.
-
Danielle Smith invokes sovereignty act on green electricity, concedes it's for symbolic effect
Premier Danielle Smith invoked Alberta’s sovereignty act on Monday to implement new measures in her fight against Ottawa’s looming clean electricity rules while conceding she didn't need the act to put the changes in place.
-
'Absolutely no talk' of moving Paul Bernardo to minimum security: corrections head
The commissioner of Correctional Service Canada says there is 'absolutely no talk' of moving notorious serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to an even lower security level, following his transfer into a medium-security prison.
Health
-
Britain detects first human case of flu strain similar to pig virus
Britain said on Monday it had detected a first human case of flu strain A(H1N2)v, which is similar to a virus currently circulating in pigs, and that the individual concerned had experienced a mild illness and fully recovered.
-
B.C. in court against pharma companies in bid to certify opioid class-action lawsuit
B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma says a court hearing today in Vancouver represents a “new step” in the battle against opioid makers and marketers as the province seeks to certify a class action on behalf of other Canadian governments.
-
Official start of flu season will likely be declared this week: PHAC
Flu season is just around the corner, according to new data from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s FluWatch reprort.
Sci-Tech
-
Google will start deleting 'inactive' accounts in December. Here's what you need to know
Under Google's updated inactive-account policy, which the tech giant announced back in May, accounts that haven't been used in at least two years could be deleted. Accounts deemed inactive will be erased in a phased-approach beginning Friday.
-
Elon Musk visits Israel to meet top leaders as accusations of antisemitism on X grow
Elon Musk, who's been under fire over accusations of antisemitism flourishing on his social media platform X, paid a visit Monday to Israel, where he toured a kibbutz that was attacked last month by Hamas militants and was set to meet with top leaders.
-
Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say
Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew -- but never disclosed -- it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports.
Entertainment
-
The Last of Us named the 'largest series ever filmed in Canada'
The monumental effort it took to bring the first season of The Last of Us to the small screen paid off big time for Alberta, a new report says.
-
'Get Ready With Me': Video genre focusing on everyday life is everywhere, and not slowing down
"Get Ready with Me" videos are everywhere these days, and they're as straightforward as the name suggests. Social media users, often influencers, invite viewers to watch them get ready to do something or go somewhere.
-
Paramount Plus Canada developing comedies about prime minister, widowed limo driver
Paramount Plus Canada says it's developing two more homegrown comedies, one centred on a widowed limo driver trying to raise his kids, the other on an A-list actor who gets the chance to become prime minister.
Business
-
Air Transat's 2,100 flight attendants adopt strike mandate
The union representing 2,100 flight attendants at Air Transat says workers have voted to approve a strike if they cannot reach a new contract with the airline.
-
Buyer beware: porch piracy set to ramp up with holiday season fast approaching
A recent FedEx survey shows porch thefts have risen over the last two years, with 28 per cent of respondents reporting they've had packages stolen by so-called porch pirates in the past. That compares to 24 per cent of respondents in 2022 and 20 per cent in 2021.
-
China's fast-fashion retailer Shein files for U.S. IPO: Reuters sources
China-founded fashion company Shein has confidentially filed to go public in the United States, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
Lifestyle
-
What's Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023? Hint: Be true to yourself
In an age of deepfakes and post-truth, as artificial intelligence rose and Elon Musk turned Twitter into X, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is "authentic."
-
In the U.S., Hmong 'new year' recalls ancestral spirits while teaching traditions to new generations
For the annual fall renewal of her shaman spirit, Mee Vang Yang will soon ritually redecorate the tall altar in her living room where she keeps her father's ring-shaped shaman bells.
-
'It's a miracle': Missing B.C. cat found after almost 7 months far from home
A cat named Mucky has been reunited with his Vancouver Island family after being missing since May.
Sports
-
B.C. Place to be renamed Christine Sinclair Place for soccer star's final match
B.C. Place Stadium is being renamed 'Christine Sinclair Place' for one night only, in honour of the Canada captain's final international outing
-
Canada wins five medals on final day of Parapan Am Games in Santiago
Canada capped the Parapan American Games with five medals Sunday for a total of 52. Canada's team of 135 athletes competing in 14 sports claimed nine gold, 15 silver and 28 bronze overall in Santiago, Chile.
-
Sinner leads Italy to its first Davis Cup title in nearly 50 years with 2-0 win over Australia
Jannik Sinner capped his perfect week by leading Italy to its first Davis Cup title in nearly five decades.
Autos
-
Tesla sues Swedish agency as striking workers stop delivering licence plates for its new vehicles
Tesla on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Swedish state via Sweden's Transport Agency as striking postal workers in the Scandinavian country halted the delivery of licence plates of new vehicles manufactured by the Texas-based automaker.
-
Honda recalls select Accords and HR-Vs over missing piece in seat belt pretensioners
Honda is recalling select 2023-2024 Accord and HR-V vehicles due to a missing piece in the front seat belt pretensioners, which could increase injury risks during a crash.
-
Buyers worldwide go for bigger cars, erasing gains from cleaner tech. EVs would help
The negative impact on the climate from passenger vehicles, which is considerable, could have dropped by more than 30 per cent over the past decade if not for the world's appetite for large cars, a new report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative suggests.
