Comedian Cole Parker has described Russell Brand's behaviour towards women as 'terrifying', recalling a 'sharp, Rasputin-eyed stare' that he says Brand directed at women on the comedy circuit.
Speaking to Sky News ahead of the 51-year-old's sentencing on Monday (9 November), Parker, who met Brand while touring, said modelling agents would warn models about him.
Shared agent and touring years
"We had the same agent for a long time, nearly three years, so we toured together quite a lot," the actor told broadcaster Sarah-Jane Mee. "I would see him at a lot of university gigs, and then, when he got poached by another agent, he became a TV host; from then, I'd only see him intermittently at the odd gig or fashion event, because I was involved in the fashion industry for a short while."
Parker recalled seeing Brand at London fashion events: "He'd stare at them like he was going to kill them. It was that real sharp, Rasputin-eyed stare that he maintained. Some people would fall under it and find it hypnotic, and some people, I think, were terrified of it."
Industry silence and legal fears
"A lot of people noticed it, and people in the comedy industry would talk about it," Parker said. "But, as Katherine Ryan said, it's a legal minefield. So, we can talk about it in greenrooms; we can talk about it on car journeys on the way to and from gigs - and believe me, we did."
He added: "But the industry… it takes someone like his agent, it takes somebody close to him, somebody who knows what's going on, somebody in one of the TV or film companies, to stand up and point it out, because, otherwise, he's not going to stop, and who else is going to do it?"
Conviction and ongoing investigation
Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault last week. He was cleared of two other rape charges and an attempted indecent assault charge.
Appearing at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday (5 November), the Get Him to The Greek actor was denied bail and remanded in custody. His hearing is scheduled for Monday (9 November).
According to the Metropolitan Police, Brand remains under investigation for further allegations made by two more women.
