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Russell Brand, the comedian accused of four sexual assault allegations earlier this year, was hit with a new lawsuit Friday by a woman alleging he exposed himself to her on the set of the movieArthur in 2010 and then sexually assaulted her in a bathroom.
In an affidavit filed in New York County Supreme Court and obtained by Rolling Stone, “Jane Doe” asks to proceed anonymously because she’s still a working actor and fears being blacklisted. The woman claims Brand “previously used his social media platform to rally his fan base to support him in the face of current accusations.”
In her complaint, obtained by Rolling Stone, Doe alleges the attack occurred on July 7, 2010, during filming inside the Manhattan restaurant Le Cirque. Her lawsuit claims Brand was sitting at a table inside the venue, waiting to film a scene, when he locked eyes with her and “pulled his erect penis out of his pants in an open and obvious manner.”
“Prior to the assault, Mr. Brand appeared intoxicated, smelled of alcohol, and was carrying a bottle of vodka on set,” Doe’s personal affidavit filed with the complaint states. “He then exposed his penis to me on the set and in full view of the cast and crew.” She says some of the people present were employees of the production companies. Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Discovery, MBST Entertainment, Bender-Spink and Langley Park Pictures all are listed as co-defendants in the case.
“The sexual assault happened later that same day when I was in the bathroom. Mr. Brand entered after me and assaulted me as a member of the production crew guarded the door from the outside,” Doe states in her affidavit.
According to the complaint, Brand followed Doe into the multi-stall bathroom during a break in filming. “Brand was in the restroom physically blocking the exit with his body, with his pants pulled down and his erect penis exposed to plaintiff once again,” the filing states. “Brand then forced plaintiff into a stall and repeatedly asked her to kiss his exposed penis. Brand then pushed plaintiff’s head down and forced his penis into her mouth. The forced oral sex continued until plaintiff was able to push Brand away and escape the bathroom.”
Representatives for Brand did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment. The case was filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which opened a yearlong window that allows victims to sue their abusers as well as the institutions that protected sexual predators.
Doe has asked to proceed anonymously, citing fears of retribution or longterm association. “As a result of the sexual assault by Russell Brand, I have found it difficult to trust others. I fear that if my identity will become public, I will forever be tied to him on the Internet, worsening my feelings of distrust, betrayal and isolation,” Doe says in her filings.
“I also have professional concerns about being named publicly in this matter. When the assault happened, it was the first day of a three-day booking. However, after the assault, I was not brought back for the second or third day, and was only paid for one day of work,” she states in the affidavit signed Oct. 7. “I still maintain my career as an actor, and 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. I cannot bear to imagine my career that I love being jeopardized at this point in my life.”
Brand has denied the allegations. His U.K. publisher Pan Macmillan’s Bluebird halted the publication of any future releases from the actor following investigations into the allegations.
Updated 11/7/2023 with details from “corrected” complaint, which posted separately
