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Lily Allen on resurfaced rape joke made by Russell Brand: 'It makes me uncomfortable'
Charles H. Sloan View
Date:2025-04-06 10:51:32
Lily Allen is calling out a rape joke at her expense made by comedians Russell Brand, Jimmy Carr and Jonathan Ross.
The English singer, 38, revisited an experience on the British television program "The Big Fat Quiz of the Year" in 2007, when the joke was made.
A clip from the show has resurfaced as rape and sexual assault allegations against Brand, 48, are coming to light.
At the top of the show, Ross, 62, moved Allen away from a panel that included Brand and comedian Noel Fielding, to the "sexless zone" to protect her because she was the "only sexually attractive" person on the panel.
"And then Lily may go home with her dress still on," Ross said.
"How dare you – we're not rapists," Fielding said back.
Host Carr, 51, then asked why Fielding, 50, was wearing a cape if he "wasn't a rapist," with Fielding clarifying that it was actually a Jack the Ripper cape.
"He wasn't a rapist, he was a ..." Fielding said, before Brand jumped in: "Serial murderer."
"There's a difference. There is no direct corollary between rapes and capes, it's just a rhyme. Leave him alone," Brand said.
In an interview with the magazine Grazia UK published on Monday, Allen said the experience was "horrendous" looking back, but at the time, she went along with it.
"I laugh along with it. In retrospect, that's really horrendous," she told the outlet. "It makes me uncomfortable, but I don't think I felt that at the time because it was the culture."
USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Brand, Carr, Fielding and Ross for comment.
Accusations against Brand of rape, sexual assault and abuse continue to mount after an initial four women, who knew him over a seven-year period at the height of his fame, came forward about their alleged interactions.
In a report published Sept. 16, The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's "Dispatches" revealed the accusations, which included one woman alleging Brand raped her, while three others accused him of sexual assault.
Brand denied the allegations, maintaining all of his relationships have been consensual.
Russell Brand'sassault, rape allegations being investigated: What his accusers say happened
The accusations have also spurred broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4, where Brand was previously employed as a presenter, to launch internal investigations into his conduct.
On Nov. 14, the BBC announced that amid their investigations, two more people have come forward to complain about Brand.
Several media and police forces have made queries about Brand's conduct. London's Metropolitan Police announced on Sept. 25 that they have opened a sex crimes investigation into Brand. Thames Valley Police, another U.K. police force, is investigating Brand for harassment and stalking, they announced on Oct. 2.
Russell Brand, Katy Perryand why women are expected to comment when men are accused of abuse
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