LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Rhian Sugden, a 37-year-old former glamour model and Russell Brand's ex-girlfriend broke her silence on the latter after he was accused of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse by multiple women.
The allegations, presented in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4's 'Dispatches', were denied by the English actor-comedian.
Following the accusation, Sugden took to X, formerly Twitter, to reveal the Brand treated her "well" when they briefly dated.
While Sugden insisted that she did not have any unpleasant experience with Brand, she mentioned that he allegedly joined the "No More Page 3" campaign in 2014 after failing to get together with "other page 3 girls."
What did Rhian Sugden say about Russell Brand?
Sugden decided to speak out about her past relationship with Brand following a string of allegations made against the 'Arthur' actor.
"I had reporters and Dispatches knocking on my parents door months back asking for information on Russell Brand as we briefly dated when I was younger," she wrote.
"He was always very pleasant to me and treated me well," Sugden mentioned.
"Despite him attempting to sh*g his way through other page 3 girls and getting declined he soon went full circle and joined a ‘No More Page 3 campaign’ to get us shut down," she revealed.
"I can’t comment on the allegations that have been made against him, I’ve no scoop on the fella except his hair used to smell bad and he definitely wasn’t the one that got away," Sugden said.
"Hope that answers the Qs of the other reporters that have slid into my DMs x," she concluded.
Rhian Sugden is the owner of What She Said
Sugden is a glamour model, who had a brief relationship with Brand, and recently spoke out about her experience of dating the actor-comedian.
Her Twitter bio says she is a "(Ian with an R)," a lingerie model and the owner of What She Said, a company that makes "naughty and outrageously cheeky greetings card."
As per the company's website, Sugden calls herself "a part time doodler who loves nothing more than to sit down with my furbabies - Roger & Barry - and create mildly offensive designs."
"I also love drawing birds. Particularly tits," the bio on the website adds.
It further mentions Sugden likes "puns, green jelly babies, petting dogs, pineapple on pizza, retro interiors and taking pictures."
Meanwhile, she dislikes "anchovies, pistachios that don't open and talkative taxi drivers."
"Trying to make the world a happier place with a cheeky card and a smile," Sugden writes on the What She Said website.
"Some designs are my own, some are from other exceptionally creative folk," she says about the products of her company.
How did the internet react to Rhian Sugden's statement about Russell Brand?
The internet was quick to react to Sugden's statement about Brand. "Well done for speaking up and speaking the truth, not that is changes my opinion of #RussellBrand #inplainsight," one responded.
"The hair bit. Never met him but thought it looked that way back in the day…," one joked.
"definitely wasnt the one that got away," another added.
"This was written very well," a fourth commented.
One said, "Good on you for giving your honest experience and opinion. Also it is interesting that you had media looking for dirt months ago."
While another added, "Obviously I don't know any details, but your comments are intelligent, constructive and mature. Good for you."
What did Russell Brand say about the allegations?
Brand shared a video on YouTube to deny the allegations made against him.
"I have received two extremely disturbing letters - or a letter and an email - one from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid stuff, like my community festival should be stopped and I shouldn't be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel," he stated.
"But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," Brand said.
"These allegations pertain to a time when I was in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time when I was in the movies, and as I've written about extensively in my books I was very, very promiscuous," he continued.
"During that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well," Brand mentioned.
"And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play," he claimed.
"Particularly when we have seen coordinated media attacks before, like Joe Rogan where he dared to take a medicine the mainstream media didn't approve of and we saw a spate of headlines of media outlets around the world using the same language," Brand explained.
"I am aware that you guys in the comments have been for a while saying 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you,' 'you are getting too close to the truth', 'Russell Brand did not kill himself,'" the actor continued.
"I know a year ago there was a spate of articles: 'Russell Brand is a conspiracy theorist; Russell Brand is right-wing,' he shared.
"I am aware of newspapers making phone calls, sending letters to people I know. For ages and ages, it's been clear to me or at least feels to be there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kind of voices," Brand said.
"I need my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my stand-up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious, criminal allegations," he reiterated.
"Also it's worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack," Brand claimed.
"Now, I don't want to get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations but I feel like I'm being attacked and plainly they are working very closely together," he alleged.
"We are obviously going to look into this matter because it is very, very serious. In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake but more importantly than any of that, if you can stay free," Brand concluded.
