Russell Brand has admitted to sleeping with a 16-year-old when he was 30 and says he now sees the encounter as "exploitative" on his part.
The 50-year-old, who has faced multiple rape and sexual assault charges in UK courts since 2023, spoke about the encounter during Wednesday's edition of "The Megyn Kelly Show."
"The simple fact is that, in Europe and in the UK, where I come from, the legal age for sexual intercourse is 16. And I slept with a 16-year-old when I was 30," he said.
"But when I was 30, I was a very different person. I was much younger and an immature 30-year-old," he then added.
"I think it was exploitative behavior. I accept that my past sexual behavior was selfish and I didn't pay enough attention to how sex was affecting other people."
The comments come as the actor continues to deny a series of allegations that first surfaced in 2023. Four women accused Brand of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse for incidents that allegedly occurred between 1999 and 2005. Another allegation later emerged from an actress who claimed she was attacked on the set of the film "Arthur."
Brand has consistently denied all allegations.
"I absolutely deny" the allegations, he said in a social media response at the time, claiming his past relationships were consensual.
In May 2025, Brand pleaded not guilty to charges that included rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault. He was indicted on an additional charge of rape and sexual assault months later, and again pleaded not guilty in February.
Brand rose to fame in the late 2000s as a comedian before embarking on a brief career in Hollywood, and later garnered attention for his relationship with singer Katy Perry, which lasted from 2009 to 2011.
He has been married to Laura Gallacher since 2017 and the couple has three children.
