Warning: Disturbing
A Scottish comic hit the headlines after he was “the only comedian” to speak on the record about rape and sexual assault allegations leveled against fellow comedian and actor Russell Brand.
Allegations that Brand sexually assaulted five women between 2006 and 2013 came to light at the weekend after a year-long joint investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches and The Times. Brand, 48, has vehemently denied the allegations and no criminal charges have been laid.
In the nearly three-minute video, which was shared with X’s 11 million followers and 6.5 million YouTube subscribers, Brand insisted any encounter during the “poison” period was “consensual” and that he was the target of a “coordinated media attack”.
As part of Delivery programme, Scottish stand-up comedian Daniel Sloss appeared to support the woman who made the allegations.
Comedian Daniel Sloss is the “only” comedian to support Russell Brand’s victims in the documentary.Redferns
Sloss was presented as “the only” comic and agent contacted by reporters for the film who was “willing to talk on camera” about the allegations against Brand.
The 33-year-old said he heard “a lot of stories” about Brand’s alleged behavior while running the comedy circuit more than 10 years ago.
“It doesn’t just come from one person or one group of people, it’s different incidents in different years and varying degrees of severity,” Sloss says in the film.
Russell Brand has denied allegations of sexual misconduct and assault. Getty Images for the Recording Academy
He said he knew female comedians had set up group chats to warn each other about men “to avoid” in the industry.
“I know for years that women have been warning each other about Russell.”
Reporters from Delivery the team said they had seen a message from a WhatsApp group discussing Brand.
“I know there are comedians who have made in-joke references to (Brand’s behavior) and have either been asked or told not to do that joke again,” Sloss added.
The comedian said he heard “a lot of stories” about Brand’s alleged behavior.Getty Images
“It’s scary to hear, it’s scary, you don’t know where this person came from and how far he’s gone.”
Sloss said he believes people in “high positions of power” should have done more about the allegations and rumors being circulated about Brands.
“The questions that should have been asked about Russell before he was employed for certain things, I don’t believe they were asked,” he said.
“You look at people in high positions in this industry and think to yourself, there’s more you can do.”
Since appearing in the documentary, Sloss has been described as “a rare true ally” in the comedy industry.
Australian comedian Rose Callaghan wrote on X, previously Twitter, that she appreciated Sloss for speaking up when “a lot of other men” stayed silent.
“Without making everything about celebrating a man, I think it’s good that he did that because no one would question him if he didn’t say anything,” he added.
Meanwhile, British comedian Eleanor Conway posted a video to TikTok saying “the most surprising thing about the Russell Brand documentary wasn’t Russell Brand, it was Daniel Sloss”.
“He came out and stood up for women in this documentary, put his head on the line. The man is a successful comic, he didn’t have to put himself out there and he did that and he stood up for women and he called Brand out.”
He said Sloss speaking out highlighted the lack of men willing to do the same, which is why it was so “extraordinary”.
“I was like does it have to be extraordinary? A man calling another man?
Russell Brand hosted his short-lived MTV show “1 Leicester Square” in 2006.MTV
“Men not mentioning bad behavior is another way men show their low standards of women.”
Many commented on Conway’s video, saying they were not surprised when Sloss spoke in the documentary.
“Anyone who has followed his career is not surprised by this at all. Daniel Sloss is one of the few comics I trust my drink with,” commented one user.
“After watching Daniel Sloss for years, nothing about him comes out that surprises me,” wrote another. “The bar was low, but he was one of the few who stood above it.”
Fans also mentioned a clip from Sloss’ 2019 HBO special X, where she called out men who didn’t talk about sexual assault.
Russell Brand has been accused by four women of rape, sexual assault and abuse. Brand Russell/Twitter
At the end of the special, Sloss talked about an incident where she “failed” to protect her female friend from being raped by a male friend. The incident is unrelated to the allegations made against Brand.
“I’ve known this guy for eight years and he did it,” Sloss says in the clip, before calling on men to “get involved” and actively challenge misogynistic behavior.
“Don’t make the same mistake I’ve made over the years, which is to just sit back and say, ‘I’m not part of the problem, therefore I must be part of the solution’ because that’s not how it works,” he added.
“I believe and deep down I know that most men are good, of course we are. But when one out of 10 men is a *** and the other nine do nothing, they probably won’t be there.
“Being good on the inside is important for everyone. You have to actively do good and get involved.”
Sloss calls on men to shed their “hero complex” and act after rape, but instead work to “prevent one” from happening.
“I know it can be done because I know how I failed,” he said.
“Because if I’m being 100 percent honest with myself, are there signs in my friend’s behavior over the years towards women that I’ve neglected? The answer was yes, and then he raped my friend, and that happened to me until the day I died.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
