British comedian and actor Russell Brand has acknowledged that he had sexual relations with a 16-year-old when he was 30, saying he now views the encounter as “exploitative.”
The 50-year-old made the comments during an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, as he continues to face multiple criminal allegations in the United Kingdom dating back to 2023.
“The plain fact of it is, in Europe and in the United Kingdom, where I’m from, the age of consent is 16. And I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30,” Brand said. “But when I was 30, I was a very different person. I was a lot younger, and I was an immature 30-year-old.”
Brand, best known for films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, also reflected on what he described as power imbalances linked to fame.
“Consensual sex, actually, with a variety of people when there is a strong power differential… I think involves exploitation,” he said. “I think it is exploitative. I recognize that my sexual conduct in the past was selfish.”
The remarks come as Brand continues to deny a series of allegations that first emerged in 2023. Four women have accused him of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, relating to incidents alleged to have occurred between 1999 and 2005. A further allegation was later reported involving an incident on a film set.
Brand has consistently rejected all claims. In earlier statements, he said his past relationships were consensual and that he “absolutely refutes” the allegations.
In 2025, he pleaded not guilty to charges including rape, indecent assault and sexual assault. He has also denied additional charges filed later and again entered not guilty pleas in February.
The trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court has been delayed, with proceedings now scheduled for October 12.
“These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream… and during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual,” Brand previously said, adding that he remains transparent about his past conduct.
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