Russell Brand, a British comedian, has spoken out for the first time since rape and sexual assault allegations were made against him.
In a YouTube video, Brand thanked his followers for questioning the information they received and accused the UK government of attempting to silence him.
Last week, four women made sexual assault allegations against Brand, claiming that he assaulted them between 2006 and 2013.
Brand did not directly address the sexual assault allegations in his video but instead focused on online censorship attempts made against him.
The UK’s online safety bill, which aims to regulate social media platforms, has passed its final debate but is yet to become law.
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Since the sexual assault allegations, Brand’s YouTube channel has been demonetized, and his live tour has been postponed.
One woman who made sexual assault allegations against Brand claims that he raped her without a condom in his Los Angeles home and tried to prevent her from leaving, BBC reported.
Another woman states that Brand assaulted her when she was 16 and referred to her as a child during their abusive relationship.
The third woman accuses him of assault while they worked together in Los Angeles, with Brand threatening legal action if she spoke out.
The fourth woman alleges both physical and emotional abuse by Brand in the UK. In addition, another woman has made sexual assault allegations against Brand of exposing himself and laughing about it on his BBC radio show in 2008, BBC added.
READ MORE| Russell Brand makes first public comments since sexual assault allegations