Russell Brand’s publishing deal with Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird has been suspended following allegations the star had repeatedly sexually assaulted women.
In a statement to The Bookseller, a rep for Bluebird said: “These are very serious allegations and in the light of them, Bluebird has taken the decision to pause all future publishing with Russell Brand.”
Brand, who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a comedian before snagging roles in Hollywood films including “Rock of Ages” alongside Tom Cruise, has written numerous tomes, especially following his career pivot to new age wellness guru over the past few years.
He wrote an autobiography, “My Booky Wook,” in 2007 (published by Hodder & Stoughton) with a sequel, “BookyWook 2” following in 2011 published by HarperCollins. In 2015 her wrote a political tome titled “Revolution” ( published by Cornerstone) as well as making his children’s literature debut with “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.”
Under his deal with PanMacmillan he published “Recovery: Freedom from our Addictions” in 2018 with a new version set to be published in May 2024. Following Bluebird’s announcement, the future of the book is now unclear.
The allegations against Brand were first made in a joint investigation by The Times of London, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 documentary “Dispatches” over the weekend. They saw four women accuse Brand of sexual assault and, in one case, rape.
The BBC and Banijay, who employed the comedian at the time the incidents were said to have taken place, have launched an investigation into the claims.
Brand has strenuously denied the allegations.
Read More About:
Source: Read Full Article