New revelations have emerged that Russell Brand made a £3,000 donation to a rape crisis charity in his hometown just a year after he committed rape. The disgraced entertainer, who is now serving a 10-year and six-month prison sentence, gave the money to the South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre (SERICC) in Grays, Thurrock, in late 2010. The donation was made in Brand's name to help fund the charity's 25th anniversary party.

A Controversial Donation

SERICC founder Sheila Coates told reporters that the charity had no direct contact with Brand. The donation came from his management team after the charity wrote to numerous celebrities requesting support for their fundraising event at Orsett Hall in December 2010. "We were engaged in fundraising activity and wrote to lots of famous people and asked for a donation and he happened to be on the list," Coates said. "We were responded to by his management, not him, he wasn't in the country. We had no contact with him at all."

Coates reflected on the broader implications of the donation, stating, "He supported four or five local charities in the area he was from, but this is really about his abuse of power, the other part of the Russell Brand personality."

Brand's Local Ties

Brand was born and raised in the area, attending Grays School, now known as the Hathaway Academy. In 2013, he opened the Thurrock Mind charity shop in Grays, and in 2022, he campaigned to save the Thameside Theatre from being sold off by the cash-strapped Thurrock Council. These actions had painted a picture of a local celebrity giving back to his community.

Pattern of Abuse

Coates drew attention to a disturbing pattern among famous men: "There is something about celebrity, money, power, control. When you get fame and money, some men abuse that position and that's what he's done. We've seen this so many times with famous men, it's not a shock it's disappointment and it goes on and on and on, that's the disappointment, not really the shock because we've seen this with others."

Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The rape occurred in 2009, and the donation to SERICC came a year later, highlighting a stark contrast between his public philanthropy and private actions.

Impact on Victims

Coates believes the high-profile case will have mixed effects on other survivors of sexual assault coming forward. She expressed concern about victim-blaming, noting, "I've heard things like 'it was a long time ago', 'why didn't she report it sooner?'. That's all normal behaviour for victims for all sorts of logical psychological reasons. We still need to do some work around the myths and facts around sexual assault, all judges are supposed to do that, but I don't think all of them do, so we've got to make sure that happens so that justice is fair and victims are not blamed for their own assault."

The case has sparked conversations about the abuse of power and the importance of supporting survivors. As Brand serves his sentence, the charity he once donated to continues its work, helping those affected by sexual violence.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.