Trigger warning: sexual assault
Russell Brand will headline an upcoming political conference in New York despite his ongoing legal troubles in the UK. The comedian will speak at the Shelter Island event this weekend. He has been in the spotlight due to the serious charges he is facing. Organizers say the event will hear various voices and ideas.
Russell Brand will appear at Free & Equal’s United We Stand event
According to Page Six, Brand will appear at the Ram’s Head Inn as part of the United We Stand tour. The tour comes from electoral reform group Free & Equal. Event materials call Brand an “author, broadcaster & independent voice.” They also list him for an open discussion about capital, sovereignty and self-governance.
Notably, the British police charged Brand with rape and sexual assault in April 2025. Police brought the charges after an 18-month investigation into allegations from four women. The charges include one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two of sexual assault. The alleged incidents took place between 1999 and 2005.
When police charged him, Brand denied the allegations. “I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity,” he said online at the time. He added, “I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.” In December, prosecutors brought two more rape charges involving two additional women, and Brand pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Free & Equal founder Christina Tobin defended the decision to include Brand. She said Brand remains “innocent until proven guilty.” Tobin also noted that Brand serves as one of two headliners for the event. The other headliner is fiscal responsibility advocate Joe From Texas.
Brand appears alongside several other speakers at the conference. The lineup includes Ron Paul, Joe Kent, Sheriff Mack, Patrick Byrne, David Walker, Michael Terpin and Joby Weeks. The hotel’s management also seemed to be saying that Brand brought an additional voice to the lineup. The event will take place at the Ram’s Head Inn on Shelter Island.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Originally reported by Ayusi Adhikari for Mandatory
