Several months ago, a somewhat prophetic social media user mused that Russell Brand was pivoting to extreme right-wing positions so that he could claim that any “accusations” were an attempt to silence him.
While terrible men seldom need a motive to tilt towards reactionary, polarized positions … that tweet has aged better than Twitter itself.
Grimly, five women have publicly accused Russell Brand of rape, sexual abuse, and more. One of the survivors was only 16 at the time.
One of his accusers actually wrote a letter to him following the alleged assault. And its contents, now public, are a heartbreaking read.
The Sunday Times has published a letter that Nadia, one of the courageous women who has come forward, wrote to Russell Brand in 2012.
Nadia (that is her sole public identification; we have all witnessed the treatment that women who accuse famous men of evil deeds receive) wrote that she felt “completely disgusted” by how he had treated her.
In the letter, she also expressed how “sad” she felt that she had trusted him in the first place.
“Very angry with you and myself for getting sucked into your narcissistic world,” she expressed.
“Do you know what you put me through? My body through?” Nadia demanded in the letter.
She characterized how “My emotions and body are turned upside down.”
“You scared the s–t out of me on July 1st,” Nadia accused. “I thought in any situation I would be strong enough to fight someone off.”
Her letter continued: “But when it’s someone you know, you don’t expect to be put in that position. You completely broke me down.”
Nadia asked: “Do you even know how scary you are when that glazed look comes over you?”
“I didn’t see the fun loving guy in front of me,” Nadia wrote. “I saw a man who couldn’t control himself and the word NO is more of a challenge than a command.”
Just for the record, many experts in abusers and predators argue that the idea of them losing control is a myth. For example, abusers are more likely to destroy a victim’s belongings. That’s not a lack of control; it’s an act of terror.
Even in the letter from all of those years ago, Nadia openly wondered why she protected him. She didn’t press charges. And she didn’t disclose his name at the rape treatment center.
“This letter is for me to work through my stuff, not for you, I just needed you to hear me,” Nadia explained in the letter.
It is a very common therapeutic technique for survivors to write letters expressing their anger at an abuser, a rapist, or someone who has otherwise harmed them.
Sometimes, they send the letters. Other times, they exist only for therapy. (In some cases, the assailant is unknown, or deceased)
While no one should ever have to explain this, Nadia did share why she didn’t publicly accuse Brand of rape at the time.
She did not want to be responsible for ruining his career. (Just a reminder — rapists ruin lives and, in the rare cases where they are exposed and face consequences, ruin their own careers)
Brand’s social media impact has been alarming lately. But Nadia noted: “He’s saying one thing and I know the demon underneath it.” Well phrased.
