'He is entitled to due process': Piers Morgan weighs in on Russell Brand sexual assault allegations
"Everyone is entitled to due process," Piers Morgan says, in relation to the allegations made about Russell Brand
Piers Morgan has said Russell Brand is "entitled to due process", as the comedian is facing a myriad of allegations of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse from several women.
The claims which were reported over the weekend, have prompted investigations by the Metropolitan Police, and Brand's ex-employers, including Channel 4, the BBC, and production company Banijay UK.
Speaking at the Sun's Who Cares Wins awards on Tuesday, Morgan said: "I think it's really important to remember in a democracy like ours, that everyone is entitled to due process.
"Allegations have been made, very serious allegations, he's vehemently denied them. The police are now investigating, let them do their work.
"The women who've come forward should be heard, they should be respected and their allegations should be properly investigated but he's also entitled to due process."
Morgan's comments come after a number of women have claimed Brand sexually assaulted them between 2003 and 2013.
The alleged incidents, which were revealed by an investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches, were reported to have happened between 2006 and 2013.
The Metropolitan Police has now said it has received a further complaint of sexual assault, alleged to have taken place in Soho, central London, in 2003.
On Tuesday, the BBC removed some of its content featuring Brand, including on its iPlayer and Sounds apps, a broadcaster's spokesman confirmed.
BBC director general Tim Davie has also announced a review of Russell Brand's career at the corporation.
One of the alleged victims, under the pseudonym Alice, claims that Brand used the BBC’s car service to pick her up from school and take her to his home, when she was aged 16.
Mr Davie said the review will look at the use of "any cars used by the BBC at that time" in response.
YouTube also announced Brand would no longer be able to make money from his videos, citing violations of the company's "Creator Responsibility policy".
After leaving comedy behind, Brand began earning money by posting on social media as a 'wellness and anti-establishment' influencer.
In a statement, YouTube said: “We have suspended monetisation on Russell Brand’s channel for violating our Creator Responsibility policy. If a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community.”
Channel 4 has launched an investigation into his time at the channel after he was accused of pursuing audience members for sex while presenting the broadcaster’s Big Brother spin-off shows EFourum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth.
Commenting on their own internal investigation, Channel 4 said: "(We are) appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007."
Brand has denied all the allegations, saying all sexual contact had been "consensual," in a video posted to his social media.
He criticised the claims as "litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks".
Brand added that he believes the reported allegations are part of a "coordinated attack" by the mainstream media and said he is going to look into this matter because it is "very, very serious".
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