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Russell Brand, the disgraced comedian and actor, is being sued over sex abuse allegations in the first-known lawsuit brought against him in the UK. An anonymous claimant has lodged a “personal-injury sexual abuse” case for damages at London’s High Court, according to reports. No further details of the lawsuit are available.

The court records were first cited by the Reuters news agency last month. Brand (49) is currently the subject of a police investigation into alleged historic sex offences. He vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

Scotland Yard launched an investigation in 2023 following a complaint from a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by Brand in central London 20 years ago. It later emerged Brand had also been questioned by police in connection with six further alleged historic sex offences. The Crown Prosecution Service has been passed a file by the Metropolitan Police to consider a charging decision in Brand’s case.

It is also understood that Brand has been interviewed by police on three separate occasions. A BBC report published in January found that staff felt unable to complain about Brand because of the culture at Radio 2 and Radio 6 Music. It said junior employees feared being removed from programmes if they raised concerns about the star, who presented shows on both stations.

Allegations in the report included that Brand exposed ­himself in the studio, urinated into cups or bottles, threw objects in anger and − according to his memoir − had.