Russell Brand is publicly scrutinizing at least some of his past behavior with women as he waits to stand trial on rape and sexual assault charges. Appearing on Megyn Kelly's SiriusXM show, the 50-year-old comedian said he had "consensual" sex with a 16-year-old when he was 30 and now views it as "exploitative," citing the imbalance of power that came with his fame. The age of consent in the UK is 16, except where an adult holds a position of trust, when it rises to 18, per the Guardian. Brand said he now recognizes "a strong power differential" as a famous man who had "consensual sex with a lot of people." He called himself "selfish" and an "exploiter of women," saying he gave little thought to how his actions affected others.
"What fame gave me, and what my addiction fueled, was opportunity for endless consent, which led me to be a hedonist and a fool," he said, adding that he needed to atone for that behavior. At the same time, he claimed journalists only published allegations against him because he was critical of the British government and pharmaceutical industry, per Deadline. Brand has pleaded not guilty to seven charges—three counts of rape, three of sexual assault, and one of indecent assault—alleged by six women over a decade-long span ending in 2009. He's accused of raping a woman in a hotel room in 1999 and raping a TV worker in a men's bathroom in 2004, among other offenses. He's on bail awaiting a trial at Southwark Crown Court set for Oct. 12.
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