Branded – A Reliable Denial?

Russell Brand has issued a video response statement after being charged with rape, oral rape, sexual assault and indecent assault in relation to allegations from four women between 1999 and 2005.

The 49-year-old comedian is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on the 2nd May 2025.

Brand starts his statement by thanking the audience for the messages of support which can seek to create unity. He continues to criticise the British Government in whom he has little trust. This can be viewed as an attempt to deflect attention from himself and a need to hide in the crowd.

He is comfortable in this narrative which seeks to delay getting to the heart of the matter, that being, to address the allegations against him which is the purpose of the video.

Statements which are either sensitive or deceptive are often marked by a long introduction prior to the main event. It is here that the subject can speak confidently to other issues whilst seeking to avoid any potentially incriminating information.

Brand adds, ‘I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single, before I had my wife and my family who are just out of shot over there—my beautiful children—I was a fool, man,” he said. “I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an imbecile. But what I never was, was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes. I want to thank all of you for your continuing support.”

He added that he was looking forward to facing the charges in court and continuing to speak to his audience. ‘Of course, I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I’m incredibly grateful for that.’ he said.

The key part of this statement are the words, ‘what I never was, was a rapist’.

Brand tells us the three things that he was. This is truthful on its form, as he reliably takes ownership of them.

What he is unable to say is, ‘I did not…’ To say what someone ‘never’ was, is unreliable and is not a strong denial. It allows for the possibility that what might not have existed at some point in the past to potentially exist now.

We would question why Russell Brand doesn’t say, ‘I’m not a rapist’? His denial can downgrade the serious crime of rape, through the addition of the words ‘non-consensual activity’. Here he could be seeking to minimise the allegations. We would need to understand Brand’s personal definition of ‘sex.’ This can be subjective.

We note also that what Brand said is more akin to legal language as opposed to everyday language and as such could have been either influenced or written by his defence team.

Brand only says, ‘I never was a rapist.’ By not saying, ‘I did not…’ or speaking to the other allegations, he allows them to stand. This is unexpected. If he doesn’t say something, we are unable to say it for him.

His last sentence seeks the opportunity to ‘defend these charges’. This is unexpected. We would have expected him to say, ‘I will prove my innocence’ or something similar.

He does not use the word ‘innocent’ anywhere in his statement. This could imply he may lack the confidence of a successful outcome.

His order of priority is to thank, seek unity and deflect before speaking to the allegations.

He is right in so much that he will be able to defend the charges in court. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

Reference to any video recording/article of the words spoken: https://x.com/rusyrockets/status/1908184087304548484

Photo Credit: Image of Russell Brand

All blog subjects are identified, validated and written by the DDL Team.

See www.ddlltd.com for more on Deception Detection Lab Ltd.