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Thames Valley Police has launched an investigation into Russell Brand after being contacted by a woman who presented additional information regarding reports of “harassment and stalking,” according to BBC.
It marks the second U.K. police force to investigate the actor and comedian following an extensive report published last month that revealed sexual assault and rape claims spanning a seven-year period from 2006 to 2013.
In a statement to BBC, the Thames Valley Police verified that it would look into the new information provided but added that it would be “inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.”
The woman who brought forward new information reportedly approached the Thames Valley Police with the same allegations multiple times between 2018 and 2022; however, no action was taken. According to BBC, Brand accused the woman of harassment in 2017.
Last week, the London Metropolitan Police revealed that it would launch a sex crimes investigation in light of the allegations. The force reportedly received “a number of allegations of sexual offenses” after the comedian was accused by four women of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse. The allegations being investigated may also span outside of London.
Prior to the release of the initial investigation, shared in breaking reports from The Times UK/Channel 4, Brand released a video on social media preemptively defending himself. The 48-year-old actor stated that he “absolutely refutes” the claims, referring to them as “very serious criminal allegations” and “extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.”
In launching a sex crimes investigation, the London police force encouraged “anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offense, no matter how long ago it was,” to contact them. “We understand it can feel like a difficult step to take,” Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, shared in a statement. “I want to reassure that we have a team of specialist officers available to advise and support.”
