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Jemima Goldsmith, the former girlfriend of British comedian Russell Brand, has accused him of violence, coercive control and abusive behaviour during their relationship, adding her account to the public scrutiny surrounding the entertainer following his conviction for rape and sexual assault.
Goldsmith, who dated Brand for approximately a year around 2014, made the allegations in a lengthy statement shared on social media after he was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on November 9.
She said she had previously contacted police during a violent incident at her home in 2014 to have Brand removed. However, she chose not to pursue charges, explaining that she was concerned about the effect intense media attention could have on her teenage children at the time.
Goldsmith said the experience had been difficult and continued to affect her, although she acknowledged that her account was not comparable to the experiences described by the women who testified during Brand's trial.
She praised the women who came forward, saying she was in awe of their courage and relieved that Brand had finally faced justice. She also disclosed that she had assisted journalists investigating allegations against him and would have been willing to testify about his alleged abusive behaviour if legal proceedings had arisen.
Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. The offences took place between 2004 and 2009. He was also acquitted of two other rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Goldsmith further addressed a controversial injunction obtained by her and Brand in October 2015 against a woman named Szilvia Berki, who had made allegations concerning an incident at Goldsmith's home the previous year.
According to Goldsmith, Berki visited the property on June 7, 2014, intending to give Brand a massage, but the massage did not take place after Goldsmith arrived. She said Berki later reported to police that Brand had pushed her while she was leaving and that Goldsmith's dog had attacked her.
Goldsmith maintained that she did not witness anything untoward during the encounter. She said she provided police with a statement and CCTV footage, after which officers concluded there was no case to answer.
She alleged that Berki subsequently sent threatening and antisemitic messages and published false claims about her online. Goldsmith said she agreed to the injunction on legal advice to prevent harassment, but recent reporting about the order had exposed her to renewed online abuse.
The television producer, who was previously married to former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, said she had not spoken to Brand since 2014.
Her statement has drawn renewed attention to allegations surrounding Brand, while highlighting the complicated decisions people may face when considering whether to report alleged abuse.
