Piers Morgan has accused Russell Brand of being “inappropriately tactile” during an interview on his YouTube show, Piers Morgan Uncensored. The former comedian and actor appeared on the programme and spent over 90 seconds struggling to find a Bible passage he had read in court.
Brand, 50, will face trial later this year over allegations of rape and sexual assault made against six women. He denies all charges, which date from 1999 to 2009.
Since the interview aired, Morgan responded to a viewer on X who noted how Brand repeatedly placed his hand on the presenter’s arm or shoulder. “All that touching was extremely condescending,” the fan wrote. “Did it bother you?” Morgan replied on 27 April: “It was a bit weird, yes. Never had a guest be so inappropriately tactile during an interview, which surprised me given the allegations against him.”
During the interview, Brand also discussed his prior relationship with a 16-year-old girl, saying he now believes his actions, while legal, were “morally and spiritually wrong”. Earlier this month, he admitted having an “exploitative” sexual relationship with a 16-year-old when he was 30. The woman is not among those bringing charges against Brand.
Brand said on the show: “How I feel about it, as I’ve said, is that it’s not nice to know that my actions have contributed to a person’s suffering. There should be, there must be, justice for that.” He added: “I would say, Piers, on a personal level, that’s wrong. It’s morally and spiritually wrong, it’s legal. It’s not a legal issue.” Brand’s trial is scheduled for 12 October at Southwark Crown Court.
