The New College of Florida on Saturday will host actor, comedian and right-wing wellness influencer Russell Brand, days after he was charged with rape and sexual assault in the United Kingdom.
The weekend event at the Sarasota school is set to be a conversation on free speech and cultural power.
“While the justice system independently addresses other matters, our responsibility is to ensure a space where ideas — especially those that invite dialogue such as the topic of cancel culture and free speech, can be explored with respect, critical thought, and intellectual integrity,” Alexandra Nicole Islas, New College’s director of public policy events, said in a statement Tuesday.
Representatives for Brand, who has denied the rape and sexual assault charges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The entertainer was charged with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault, North London Chief Crown Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said Friday. The charges are related to alleged incidents from 1999 to 2005 involving four women, she said.
He denied the allegations in a video on his social media platforms, including X, and said he intended to fight the charges.
“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the lord,” he said in the video. “I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was, was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity — I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
Detectives began investigating the “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” star in September 2023 after The Sunday Times newspaper and British broadcaster Channel 4 reported accusations by four women.
On Saturday, Brand will appear at the New College of Florida for an interview by Mark Famiglio, chairman of the Sarasota Film Festival and founder of a biotech company.
“This is a reflection of our commitment to civil discourse,” Islas said.
Famiglio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brand, once an admitted hellraiser and Hollywood malcontent, and the public New College of Florida have both taken a rightward turn toward conservative politics.
The actor, who was once married to the pop star Katy Perry, has deepened his involvement in conservative politics, appearing in September on stage with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and showing up at the Republican National Convention in July. More recently, he has regularly used his social media platforms to support President Donald Trump.
He converted to Christianity while swearing off the vices of his days as a big-screen star. He’s due in court in London on May 2.
In early 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, appointed a conservative majority to the liberal-leaning New College board of trustees, commencing a makeover of the institution and aligning it with the political right.
