Netflix has released a new documentary, Russell Brand: Open Secret, featuring harrowing accounts from former girlfriends who allege he subjected women to abuse long before he became famous. The release follows Brand's conviction this week for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. He was found not guilty of two other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The 51-year-old comedian was jailed for 10 and a half years for rape and sexual assault. The documentary charts his meteoric rise to international fame and his dramatic fall from grace, including testimony from alleged victims and people who used to be close to him.
Victim's Account of Alleged Attack
One victim, given the name Emily in the documentary, claims she was attacked by Brand when they were together. She recalls: "I kept saying no, I said stop. I begged him, I literally begged him." Emily, who was in her late 20s when she met Brand, said she "questioned herself" because they were in a relationship at the time.
Emily described the alleged assault: "I kept saying no. I said, 'Stop, Russell! Stop! Please don't! Please!' I, I begged him. I tried to kick him off. I tried to draw my knees back to kick him in his belly, but he was too strong for me, and he just pinned my hands back behind my head, and he just forced himself into me." She added: "Back then, women felt shamed. You didn't talk about it. I just felt completely violated, and unseen, and unheard."
Apology Text and Other Allegations
A second woman, known as Nadia, told The Times investigation how she was attacked by Brand in 2012 and pinned up against a wall before he allegedly raped her. Afterwards, Brand sent Nadia a text message: "I'm sorry. That was crazy and selfish. I hope you can forgive me, I know that you're a lovely person. X." He tried phoning her at 3.51am, but the call went unanswered.
Nadia responded via text: "Do you know how scary you are when that glazed look comes over you? When a girl says no, it means no. Do I have to go and get myself tested?" Brand replied that she does not need to get tested. Journalist Charlotte Wace tells the doc: "He had the opportunity to defend himself against that accusation, and instead he responded with an apology."
Former girlfriend Jordan Martin breaks down in tears as she recalls her toxic behaviour. They got together in 2007 around the time he landed a Hollywood job on the 2008 movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She alleges he sexually assaulted her on one occasion when he was angry and had a pattern of controlling behaviour. She described an incident: "He walked in, he didn’t say anything, he put his hand down the front of my jeans and he inserted a finger, and then walked away."
Early Relationship and Comedians' Views
One of his first girlfriends, Amanda Alguero Alejos, told how he changed when he began doing stand-up comedy and had female fans. She said: "We fell in love, it was my first love. I was so nervous. We did everything together, we went to Paris, Bali, he used to write for me poetry." She spoke of his drug use increasing: "He was taking a lot of drugs, cocaine and heroin."
Comedians Nish Kumar and Harriet Kemsley also discuss how his bad behaviour became a well-known fact on the comedy circuit. Nish said: "People were threatened that if they spoke about it, there would be legal action brought against them." He added: "Russell didn't do what he did because he was called talent. My personal belief is he would have done it anyway, but the problem is being called talent facilitated it and enabled it and certainly prolonged it."
The documentary also looks at how Brand was eventually brought to court, beginning with the Dispatches investigation for Channel 4 in September 2023, alongside The Times and Sunday Times, which led to the women coming forward and ultimately the four convictions. It includes insight from The Times and The Sunday Times by chief media correspondent Rosamund Urwin and investigations correspondent Charlotte Wace.
One of Brand's former best friends, Mark Pinheiro, recalls a time he shared a flat with Brand and appeared to be forcing a girl to stay in his room after they were arguing. Mark said: "I open the door to see Russell basically holding on to the girl with both his hands, gripping hold of her arm. She was wrestling herself away from him."
The documentary will examine how he eventually became a "political activist and YouTuber known for spouting conspiracy theories" in the early 2020s. It will then follow his criminal trial at Southwark Crown Court, where he was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault against four victims. He is expected to serve two-thirds of his prison sentence before being released on licence, and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.
Director Olivia Isaacs said: "We wanted to look at it more widely, broadly, to try and get an understanding of Russell Brand, who he is, the worlds that he occupied and lived in." She added: "We quickly realized there’s much more out there, unfortunately. And there’s a pattern of behavior that we were uncovering." Russell Brand: Open Secret is available to stream on Netflix.
