Russell Brand has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a film extra on the New York City set of the 2011 romantic comedy Arthur. The lawsuit, filed on Friday in state court, was brought under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which provides a one-year window for accusers to sue over alleged non-recent sexual abuse, even if statutes of limitations have expired.
The suit follows a recent flurry of allegations reported in the British media against the 48-year-old actor and comedian by several women accusing him of sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour between 2006 and 2013. Brand has denied the accusations, stating that his relationships were always consensual. British police have said they are investigating some allegations, but no arrests have been made.
The complaint was brought by a woman identified only as Jane Doe, who said she was hired as a cast extra for a scene. The lawsuit alleges that Brand was visibly intoxicated during production and exposed his genitalia to the plaintiff while sitting at a table, staring at her, “openly and obviously in the presence of everyone on set”. Film studio employees are said to have treated his behaviour as acceptable.
Afterwards, the complaint alleges, Brand followed the woman into a restroom, where he again pulled down his pants, shoved her into a stall and forced her to perform oral sex on him. The accuser says the assault caused “severe psychological injuries” and economic losses. The suit seeks unspecified money damages from Brand on grounds of assault, battery, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress.
Warner Bros Pictures, which distributed Arthur, was also named as a defendant, along with other companies involved in the film production. They were accused of negligence and of aiding and abetting Brand by tolerating his misconduct on set. Warner Bros did not respond to a request for comment. Brand’s representatives in New York and London also did not respond to requests for comment.
