Russell Brand breaks his silence after 'extraordinary and distressing' week

Russell Brand shares his first video since a number of women alleged he sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013, ITV News Correspondent Ian Woods has the latest

Russell Brand has broken his silence after multiple women alleged he sexually assaulted them.

In a video posted on his social media, Brand thanked his fans for supporting him during what he described as an "extraordinary and distressing week".

It comes as the comedian faces accusations he sexually assaulted several women, including a 16-year-old school girl, following an investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

The incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.

Brand has denied the allegations, saying his sexual relationships have always been "consensual".

While he did not address the allegations against him, he instead spoke about how he believes the government is censoring independent media.

In a video captioned "so" he said: "Hello there you awakening wonders, obviously, it's been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you've been presented with. 

"By now, you're probably aware that the British government have asked big tech platforms to censor our online content.

"And that some online platforms, have complied with that request.

"What you may not know is that this happens in the context of the Online Safety Bill – which is UK legislation that grants sweeping surveillance and censorship powers and is a law that has already been passed."

He confirmed he will be posting his show on social media platform Rumble on Monday.

An investigation into Brand has also been launched by the Metropolitan Police about a further alleged incident in Soho in 2003.

Internal probes into Brand's career and behaviour while working for the BBC and Channel 4 are also now ongoing.

What is Rumble and how does Brand use it?

Brand had been uploading videos daily to his Rumble account, potentially earning thousands of pounds each month.

He had not posted since the allegations of sexual assault came to light on Saturday.

The platform Rumble is similar to YouTube, but the two platforms have very different approaches when it comes to monetisation, algorithms and user content restrictions.

Rumble has marketed itself as an "open platform" where content creators are invited to “speak their truth” without fear of censorship or hate speech.

What is the Online Safety Bill?

The central aim of the bill is to introduce rules to social media and other user-generated content-based sites that compel them to remove illegal material from their platform.

It has a particular emphasis on protecting children from seeing harmful content.

Firms that break these rules would face large fines from the sector’s new regulator, Ofcom.

The bill has been at the centre of a debate over free speech, censorship, and the necessity to police harmful content on the internet.

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