Russell Brand has issued a statement attacking the British government in the wake of the controversial comedian being charged with rape and sexual assault in his native U.K.

The charges were announced on Friday as Brand and his family were vacationing in Boca Grande, Florida. The 50-year-old podcaster was hit with six charges in connection to multiple incidents dating back over 25 years, including one count of rape for an alleged assault in 1999.

Hours after the charges were announced, Brand took to social media to deny the allegations while slamming authorities in Britain.

“ We’re very fortunate in a way to live in a time where there’s so little trust in the British government,” he began an Instagram video filmed from his Florida hotel. “We’re very fortunate, I suppose, that this is happening at a time where we know that the law has become a kind of weapon to be used against people, institutions and sometimes entire nations.”

He then went on to ask his British viewers how they feel about the current legal system, specifically calling out the administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“ How do you feel about some of the high-profile cases that are not being pursued and prosecuted? How do you feel that the Southport murders were handled?” he asked.

After speaking in generalities for a while, he then addressed the allegations against him head on.

“ I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single, before I had my wife and family … I was a fool, man. I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord,” he said. “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 activity. I pray that you can see that.”

He closed out his video by thanking his followers for their support, promising his fans that he’d be defending himself in court.

On Saturday, Brand and his family — his wife, Laura, and their three kids — were photographed frolicking on a beach in Miami, seemingly attempting not to allow the allegations to derail their vacation.

Additional to one count of rape, Brand has also been charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count each of indecent assault and oral rape. The charges stem from incidents that allegedly took place with four different women between 1999 and 2005.

London authorities said they began investigating Brand in September 2023 after receiving numerous complaints following a joint report by The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4.

Brand is currently scheduled to appear in court on May 2.

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Bette Midler celebrates selling her Tesla, ‘symbol of racism and greed’

Bette Midler is singing songs of joy after getting rid of her Tesla.

“What a joyful day!” the diva posted on Instagram and Bluesky. “I sold my (gulp) Tesla!”

Though Midler is known for her environmental advocacy, she celebrated ditching the electric vehicle, saying she sees Tesla as “a symbol of racism, greed and ignorance” due to its association with CEO Elon Musk.

Musk’s deep-pocketed activism in U.S. politics and far-right messaging worldwide have made Tesla products a target for protesters ever since Jan. 20. President Donald Trump’s “first buddy” spent nearly $3 billion to put the president and his allies back in office, before joining in efforts to slash federal programs and cut government jobs.

Midler, 79, has long been an outspoken advocate for liberal politics, and is often critical of Trump and Musk on social media. She abruptly stopped posting on X, which Musk owns, the day after Trump won reelection in November.

“Life is so much better!!!” she wrote on her remaining social media accounts while announcing she joined others in cutting ties with Tesla.

Midler is not the first singer to publicly get rid of her Musk-made automobile. In February, Grammy Award-winner Sheryl Crow posted a video of her Tesla being towed away, while saying she was donating money from the sale to NPR.

“There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with,” Crow wrote on Instagram. “So long Tesla.”

Some Tesla owners who haven’t sold their vehicles have reported altering them to obscure the cars’ make and model out of fear of vandalism or being aligned with Musk. Tesla products and dealerships around the world have been spray painted, lit on fire and otherwise defaced by those who oppose Musk’s controversial views.

Tesla stock has also been negatively impacted since Musk turned his attention to politics.

Trump has meanwhile used his office to encourage people to buy Teslas and warn that anyone who destroys them will be severely punished.

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Eminem is a grandfather, and his grandson's middle name is Marshall

DETROIT — That's Grandpa Slim Shady to you, because Eminem is now officially a grandfather.

Eminem's daughter, Hailie Jade Scott, gave birth to her son on Elliot Marshall McClintock on March 14, she announced in an Instagram post on Friday.

The baby was due on April 4 but arrived three weeks early, she said in the post, in which she shared two pictures of the baby boy.

Hailie Jade, a consistent figure in Eminem's music going all the way back to "'97 Bonnie & Clyde” from Eminem's debut album, announced her pregnancy in October via Eminem's music video for his song “Temporary.” In it, she presented Eminem with a Detroit Lions jersey with “Grandpa” spelled out on the back, and his shocked face can be seen reacting to the news that he was going to be a grandfather.

The moment occurs at the 4:12 mark of the video, which is embedded below.

Hailie Jade, who hosts the “Just a Little Shady” podcast, married Evan McClintock in 2024. The pair attended Michigan State University together.

Eminem, 52, released his 12th studio album, “The Death of Slim Shady,” in 2024.

By Tribune News Service