Russell Brand's former flatmate, Mark Pinheiro, has said the convicted rapist used his fame to "control the narrative" about his crimes. Pinheiro spoke on Good Morning Britain after giving evidence during Brand's trial.
Asked about Brand's comedy and career, Pinheiro said he believed the jokes Brand made about women and sex were part of his "strategy". He said: "I believe on his part that he knew that he could control the narrative, whether that was by writing books or turning things into a joke when there's something nefarious going on behind the scenes. I think that was all cleverly constructed once he had the fame to control the narrative a bit more. It was a strategy."
Early days and a strange admission
Pinheiro, who met Brand in 1998 when they were both up-and-coming actors, added that Brand would introduce himself with his desire to sleep with 5,000 women, and it became hard to know if this was the real him or an "act". "When he introduced himself, he endeared himself with that information," he said. "That's how he sold who he was. He wanted to play up to that and to prove himself as often as he could. It was a very strange admission to make."
He continued: "It was very difficult to distinguish if he was putting on an act or if this was some kind of mental health disorder, like the early stages of sex addiction."
Friends turning a blind eye
When asked by host Ranvir Singh if the men in their lives had said anything about what was going on, Pinheiro admitted that a lot of people would avoid seeing anything so they would not have to speak out. "When you're with someone like Russell, a lot of guys could fall in," he explained. "They don't want to be estranged from the group. It does take a certain level of strength. Even when we used to see Russell misbehaving, people around us would turn a blind eye, because they didn't want to have to bear witness or say they saw him do what he did."
"But because I was late to the party, I hadn't learned those strategies so I would notice things and say 'did you see that?' and others would be like 'No, I don't know what you're talking about'."
Conviction and sentencing
Brand was convicted on Thursday of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others on allegations dating back years. The disgraced entertainer has now been warned he faces a significant period behind bars. His downfall came after what police described as "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward".
Speaking outside court, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said: "Without their bravery, this outcome would not have been possible. Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women."
Brand is due to be sentenced on Monday. The judge has warned the comedian to expect a significant prison term, but the exact length of his sentence is not yet known.
