Russell Brand and Dr. Oz laugh about a woman consenting to hug the comedian as he faces multiple sexual assault allegations: Watch
During a panel at the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) summit broadcast by C-SPAN, comedian Russell Brand — who is facing multiple sexual assault charges in London — and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz joked about a backstage encounter with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
As Brand walked onto the stage to moderate a panel, Dr. Oz explained his delayed entrance by telling the audience, “Russell Brand was backstage hugging the Secretary of Agriculture [Rollins]… Took MAHA to a whole new level.”
Brand immediately interjected, “She initiated that contact, I shall make clear, doctor,” seemingly making light of his continuing legal battles regarding non-consensual contact.
Dr. Oz burst out laughing, while media reports noted the audience’s reaction was mixed or muted.
Brand is scheduled to face trial in London, where he faces seven criminal charges brought forward by multiple women, including three counts of r—, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault stemming from alleged incidents between 1999 and 2009.
A joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times, and the U.K.’s Channel 4’s Dispatches detailed anonymous accounts from women accusing Brand of r—, sexual assault, and emotional abuse.
Inside the Allegations Against Russell Brand
One accuser, using the pseudonym “Nadia,” described freezing and crying after an alleged r— in 2012, later stating of his public rebranding, “He’s saying one thing, and I know the demon underneath it.”
Another accuser, “Alice,” called his preemptive denials of the allegations “insulting” and “laughable,” noting that she felt strongly depleted and wanted to help make a change.
Brand has strongly maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In an interview with podcaster Megyn Kelly, Brand stated, “I recognize that my sexual conduct in the past was selfish and I did not apply enough consideration, barely any I suppose, really, to how that s– was affecting other people.” In the same interview, he went on to describe his past self as an “exploiter of women.”
Russell Brand Criticized for His Behavior
Due to the allegations, social media critics were appalled at Brand’s joke at the MAHA summit.
“Wait, isn’t Russell Brand a credibly accused sexual predator??? Then again, that’s 100 percent on brand for the Trump team,” noted one.
“I guess it’s mandatory to be a s– offender if you want to hang around with this administration,” noted another.
“Being a sexual predator is a prerequisite for the Republican Party,” claimed someone else.
The MAHA Summit was a conference held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., aimed at promoting health and wellness reforms.
Organized by the nonprofit MAHA Center, it featured several high-profile political figures and speakers, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and former boxing champion Mike Tyson.
