Russell Brand’s former roommate has spoken publicly about the actor’s behaviour in the days before he became famous, describing unsettling changes in his demeanour when confronted about wrongdoing.
The interview aired just days before Brand is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May, where he will face multiple charges of sexual assault.
In an exclusive with ABC News’ IMPACT x Nightline, Mark Pinheiro recounted his experiences living with Brand in London.
“If Russell knows he’s doing something wrong, something naughty, something illegal, whatever it might be, if you challenge him about it afterwards, this personality would take over, the eyes go dead, the voice goes monotone,” Pinheiro said. “So, it was never him that was doing it, it was this personality that would take over and that’s the person that would be doing these things.”
The comments come as Brand prepares to answer five criminal charges filed in April by the Crown Prosecution Service. The charges include rape, indecent assault, oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault, all linked to four women and alleged to have occurred between 1999 and 2005.
Brand has denied all allegations. In a video posted after his indictment, he said, “I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I’m incredibly grateful for that.” He also admitted to a troubled past, saying, “I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was was a rapist.”
The new ABC News documentary Sex, Drugs and Fame The Russell Brand Story is available to stream now on Hulu.
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