The comedian says that while he sees it as “exploitative” now, it was legal at the time because the age for consent in the UK is 16. Photo / YouTube
The comedian says that while he sees it as “exploitative” now, it was legal at the time because the age for consent in the UK is 16. Photo / YouTube
Russell Brand has confessed to having sex with a 16-year-old girl when he was 30.
The British comedian, now 50, made the disturbing admission during an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show on Thursday.
He said that while he now recognises his actions as “exploitative”, the girl was at theage of consent in the United Kingdom, where the sex act occurred 20 years ago.
“Thank you, Megyn Kelly, for giving me the grace to address, in particular, your anger, which is entirely legitimate and recognisable,” he said on the programme.
“And the plain fact of it is that in Europe and in the United Kingdom, where I’m from, the age of consent is 16, and I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30.”
“But when I was 30, I was a very different person. I was a lot younger, and I was an immature 30-year-old.”
Russell Brand admits to having sex with 16-year-old girl when he was 30. Photo / YouTube
Brand – who has appeared in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek and Arthur – said that at the time he was a popular young actor who easily attracted women, and therefore hopped from one bed to another without a second thought.
“Consensual sex, actually, with a variety of people when there is a strong power differential, because there is when you’re a famous man that has the ability to attract women that I had at that time, I think involves exploitation. I think it is exploitative,” he said.
“I recognise that my sexual conduct in the past was selfish and I did not apply enough consideration, barely any, I suppose, really, to how that sex was affecting other people.”
Elsewhere in the interview, host Megyn Kelly asked Brand about his criminal trial, telling him that she’s worried he won’t get a “fair shake in Great Britain” because they “love to put people in jail”.
Brand also joked about his upcoming criminal trial for sexual misconduct with host Megyn Kelly. Photo / YouTube
“Oh no, I don’t want to go to jail,” he joked. “It’s my strong preference to not go to jail!”
In April 2025, Brand was charged with rape, indecent assault and sexual assault relating to four separate women in alleged incidents that took place between 1999 and 2005.
In December, another rape and a sexual assault charge was brought against him by two other women over alleged incidents in 2009.
Brand has pleaded not guilty to all of the allegations and was due to stand trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court on June 16. But last month, the trial date was pushed back to October 12.
Brand, seen here in 2008 with his Forgetting Sarah Marshall co-star Kristen Bell, says he slept with many women decades ago without much thought. Photo / Universal Pictures
“I think if you’re convicted of being a rapist, you go to jail for a very long time, which, if you are a rapist, I think is only right and only fair,” he said.
“Yes, but what if you’re not and you’re convicted anyway?” Kelly asked.
“Then that’s not fair, that’s not fair. That would be what we call injustice,” he replied.
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