Claims that Russell Brand was a sex offender have been an “open secret” in the comedy world and today more have been named as potential offenders as the industry’s MeToo moment appears to have begun.
Brand – who denies any wrongdoing – was accused this weekend of rape and sexual assault between 2006 and 2013.
Former colleagues who worked with him also made lurid claims about his behavior, including acting as “his pimps” to pass messages to attractive viewers.
But while details of the allegations may have shocked many of his fans, they were not entirely unexpected in the industry, and particularly among female comics.
In fact, shockingly, Brand’s name is just one of many on a “blacklist” shared by women comedians who warn each other about possible sexual predators.
MailOnline can reveal that at least five other comedians have been named in the discussions.
Russell Brand leaves the Troubabour Wembley Park Theater in northwest London on Saturday
Katherine Ryan appeared with Brand on an episode of the Comedy Central TV show Roast Battle
These include famous stars who have appeared on television, radio and on stage.
Some are still performing at the top of their game in the industry, while others have faded from view over the past decade.
The allegations against her range from stalking to violence against women and sexual exploitation.
MailOnline did not name her because the claims could not yet be verified.
In the Dispatches documentary that first revealed the allegations against Brand, comedian Daniel Sloss claimed that women were warning each other about him.
He told the show that there were “many stories of varying degrees of severity” about Brand, coming from different people in the comedy scene.
Mr Sloss said he was often talked about in public and many people in the comedy scene were aware of his alleged abusive and compulsive behavior.
He added that female comedians even talked about him in WhatsApp groups to warn each other which comedians to avoid.
He said: “Women have been warning each other about Russell for many, many years.”
Comedian Stevie Martin first revealed the existence of the WhatsApp group back in 2020, which discussed predatory male comics and promoters.
She was invited to join the group in 2018, called the Home Safe Collective, which was originally set up to help women get home safely from the Edinburgh Fringe.
Daniel Sloss was praised for his appearance on Dispatches despite allegations from Russell Brand
But in the wake of the MeToo movement, which heralded the exposure of Harvey Weinstein as a sexual abuser and rapist, it became much more.
She told the Telegraph in 2020: “From rape to unwanted fondling in the green room to the use of alcohol to coerce without consent, women began sharing their stories – and a WhatsApp-based blacklist of predatory male comics and promoters began to circulate.” It’s growing every day.
“The path to said prime-time entertainment television shows appears to be littered with sexual abuse at worst and a corrosive environment at best.”
“I recently learned of a male comedian who was paying other male comedians (who were performing at a comedy night he hosted) using phone numbers of female comedians rather than cash. How are we supposed to feel respected and even part of a community that seems to view us as a sport?’
Complaints about comedians never gained much attention in Hollywood, and many of those accused either returned to work or were never identified.
But in recent months the tide has turned, largely thanks to the efforts of female comedians who are shining a spotlight on the terrible problem.
Katherine Ryan previously claimed to have told a comedian “to his face” that he was a sex offender and that the allegations against that person were an “open secret.”
The Canadian comedian and author told Louis Theroux that she confronted the unnamed man “again and again” while they worked together on a TV show in front of an audience.
In 2022, the 40-year-old said she had no concerns as she had decided to handle it “like a man” – although the confrontation itself was later edited out of the show.
Katherine Ryan previously claimed to have told a comedian “to his face” that he was a sex offender and that the allegations against that person were an “open secret.”
Sara Pascoe also told in 2022 how she reported a celebrity to TV bosses after a fan told her he had raped her after seeing them on a show together
In her conversation with Theroux, Ms Ryan claimed she was subsequently criticized for not publicly naming the person in question, but said that just talking about him was a “contentious minefield” as he was “very good Lawyers”.
The comedian added that it’s “not my story to tell,” but she believes the allegations are “very credible” based on the sources.
Her friend Sara Pascoe also told in 2022 how she reported a celebrity to TV bosses after a fan told her he had raped her after seeing them on a show together.
The author and comedian revealed she received the tip-off after the alleged victim saw an appearance on the same show.
Ms Pascoe said she was contacted with the information, which she passed on to her superiors.
Speaking in the new Amazon Prime series Backstage With Katherine Ryan, she said: “Have you ever been doing a job and then someone contacted you and said, ‘That’s my rapist’?
“I had it recently at a job where I had to go to the station and the whole thing is like that because you have such a sense of responsibility but you also want it to be handled well… it’s so complicated.”
Recently Pascoe warned that there are more than You were a prominent sex offender in show business and were terrified of being exposed.
But she says they are not well. They are all “scared”. “It’s a matter of time,” she says.
“They haven’t been named directly yet because no one wants it to happen like that.” It’s not good for the victims and survivors or the industry. But they’re not doing well. You are scared.’
