In his first statement since Russell Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison earlier this week following his conviction for rape and sexual assault, Noel Fielding has opened up about his relationship with the disgraced actor.
“I was horrified and deeply disturbed to learn of Russell Brand’s crimes, which I was completely unaware of until they became public,” Fielding said in a statement to The Sun. “My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice.”
Fielding said that although he appeared numerous times on television, radio and in live charity shows alongside Brand and “performed him on camera and in the media”, he “considered it to be a professional relationship rather than a personal one”. The Great British Pastry The presenter added: “I haven’t had any contact with him for many years. »
Following Brand’s conviction, a clip of Fielding joking about rape on Channel 4 Big quiz of the year resurfaced. In the 2007 episode, host Jimmy Carr invited Rob Brydon, David Mitchell, Jonathan Ross, Fielding and Brand onto the show alongside singer Lily Allen, the only woman on the panel. Ross describes her as a “sexually attractive young woman” and warns that she was placed next to “two of the most famous cocksmen in the business”, referring to Brand and Fielding. As the shot cuts to Fielding and Brand, Fielding responds, “How dare you? We’re not rapists.”
In his statement to The SunFielding said: “Looking back at some of the jokes I made alongside him, I was appalled. They were horrible and inappropriate, and I regret them very much.”
On Monday, Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison following his conviction at his rape trial. A London jury found Brand guilty of four of the seven charges against him, including one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Brand was found not guilty of two other counts of rape, as well as one count of attempted indecent assault. The allegations against him related to complaints filed by six women between 1999 and 2009.
Six other women filed sexual misconduct complaints against Brand following the conviction. The new allegations against the actor span from 2005 to 2015, six years after the most recent incident covered in his rape and sexual assault trial, which included accusations from 2004 to 2009.
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