Russell Brand sparked fury with his comments about Sir Rod Stewart's daughter at the GQ Man of the Year Awards in 2006, prompting an angry response from the rocker.
Brand, now a convicted rapist sentenced to 10 years and six months at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, was found guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009. Jurors unanimously convicted him of offences against four women.
Bragging at the GQ Awards
As reported by the Mirror, Brand left the Celtic-daft rocker enraged as he bragged about hooking up with Kimberley Stewart, who was around 27 at the time. Stood in front of the star-studded audience at the Royal Opera House, Brand dedicated his fashion award to Sir Rod and said: "Here's to Rod Stewart who had a go at me earlier this year for too much womanising. But then again I did have a go on his daughter."
Sir Rod was soon after invited onstage to accept an outstanding musical achievement award, and he didn't hold back from putting the comedian in his place. Addressing Brand directly, the Maggie May singer said: "You went with my daughter, did you? Russell, stand up."
The Onstage Confrontation
Brand appeared sheepish and could be heard mumbling: "I took her out for one evening". Sir Rod replied, "Did you behave yourself?" Backtracking on his original comment, Brand stated, "I never touched that girl," prompting the crooner to remark, "F***ing right you didn't. You mustn't come up here and boast. I speak here as a father."
Sir Rod, speaking to Michael Parkinson that same year, explained that he had spoken to his daughter prior to the incident and she confirmed that nothing had gone on between them and they had just been pictured out at dinner together.
Sir Rod's Explanation
"So when I got up on the stage I pinpointed him and I said, 'Get up. God's honest truth, did you shag my daughter?' And he said no," Sir Rod explained. "He was humbled, absolutely humbled. Because you don't do that, even in my heyday I wouldn't have done that."
Parkinson pointed out that Brand was "frightened", to which Sir Rod responded: "Yeah, he was, because I had a few of my mates in the crowd, didn't I?"
Later Allegations and Reactions
Some 17 years later a joint 2023 investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times in documentary, titled 'Russell Brand: In Plain Sight', would highlight serious allegations against him, ranging from rape and sexual assault to emotionally abusive behaviour from five women.
Sharon Osbourne had spoken out against his treatment of Sir Rod following the airing of the documentary. Speaking on TalkTV in September 2023, she said: "The only thing I can say about Russell Brand, is the two things I don't like, was when he spoke about… one of them is a very good friend of ours, Kimberley Stewart, about what he had done to Kimberley Stewart in front of [Rod]."
She added: "And then he did the same with Sir Bob Geldof… You just don't do that to people's families, when that father is in the room. He's done it twice now and that's the thing that sticks with me."
Brand had been linked to Sir Bob Geldof's late daughter Peaches in the early noughties - prior to his confrontation with Sir Rod Stewart - before she tragically died aged 25 from a heroin overdose in 2014. Appearing at the NME Hero of the Year Awards in 2006, Brand had introduced Sir Bob, now 75, to the stage as "Sir Bobby Gandalf". As he stepped up on stage, Geldof famously retorted: "Russell Brand, what a c***."
