Jemima Goldsmith, the former partner of Russell Brand, has accused him of "violence, coercive control and abuse", saying she had to call police to have him removed from her home during a violent incident in 2014.
The TV producer broke her silence on a controversial High Court order she and Brand obtained against a massage therapist who accused Brand of assaulting her during a visit to Jemima's home in 2014. The order, obtained in 2015, restricted what Szilvia Berki could say publicly about the pair.
Jemima Goldsmith's statement
In a lengthy statement on X, Jemima said she had remained silent about her own experience with Brand because she feared the impact of press attention on her teenage children. She said she chose not to press charges at the time and had neither seen nor spoken to Brand since 2014.
Brand, 51, was jailed for ten-and-a-half years at Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of one rape and three sexual assaults. Jemima said she has "always been strongly and unequivocally on the side of all of Brand's victims" and was "in awe" of their courage in telling their stories and ensuring justice was done.
She said she had her own experience of Brand's behaviour, but added that her pain "pales in comparison" to what the women who testified in court had suffered.
Details of the legal action
Jemima also explained why she had supported the original legal action against Berki, who visited her home in 2014 after being booked to give Brand a massage as a birthday present. She said Brand had changed his mind about the appointment by the time Berki arrived and asked her to leave, adding she was present throughout their interaction and did not witness anything untoward.
"If I saw any man abuse any woman under any circumstances, I would do my utmost to stop them, without hesitation," Jemima said.
Berki subsequently reported to police that Brand had pushed her in the back as she was leaving the property. She also complained that Jemima's dog had attacked her, describing in her police statement how it had licked her face, Jemima said.
She continued: "The police rightly investigated Ms Berki's complaint. I cooperated fully with the investigation, provided a truthful statement about what I saw and also provided CCTV footage, which showed my overly exuberant but totally unaggressive dog jumping up."
Police findings and harassment claims
"Following an investigation into Ms Berki's allegations, police concluded that there was no case to answer and that no criminal offence had been committed," Jemima said. According to the police, at no time did Ms Berki ever state to them that she had been assaulted, threatened or falsely imprisoned.
"There was also a subsequent review of the investigation by the IPCC and Thames Valley Police Professional Standards which found that the original police investigation had been correct in its findings."
Jemima said a number of "untrue" stories about her had emerged, which she claimed were followed by a campaign of "vicious antisemitic and threatening abuse online and in emails". She cited multiple alleged messages she received, including one calling her a "Jewish b***h".
Another alleged message read: "Did you know that if your life is in danger you can LAWFULLY kill your attacker as defence?! … by now I could have lawfully kill at least 5-6 people who were hurting me."
Jemima also accused Berki of "wild and untrue allegations" on social media, ranging from claims of kidnapping and cyberhacking to allegations that she had arranged for someone to bump into her and laugh at her at a Tube station. Jemima said the "number, tone and content of these messages was extremely frightening" and distressing for her family.
Despite not being in contact with Brand anymore, Jemima said she agreed to the harassment order to "stop Ms Berki targeting me and my family". This was "upheld by the High Court and Court of Appeal on several occasions", she added.
Jemima continued: "I hope this information will help clarify speculation about my involvement in the anti-harassment order. I am pleased and relieved that Russell Brand has finally received justice."
The court order, made permanent in 2015, restricted what Berki could say about Jemima and Brand. It also prevented her from discussing the alleged assault with friends, family or police, according to the terms of the order. Berki was also ordered to pay £50,000 towards the couple's legal fees and has since made three unsuccessful attempts to appeal the injunction.
