Alleged rapist Russell Brand says baptism “changed” him

Russell Brand has taken a new step to express his devotion to Christianity. In an Instagram post on Monday, the controversial actor and comedian turned commentator shared his experience being baptized, months after several women accused him of rape and sexual assault in a joint investigation. The Sunday Times, The timesand the Channel 4 documentary series broadcasts.

“I was baptized and it was an incredible, profound experience,” he said in the video. “Many aspects of it were very intimate and personal,” he continued. “As someone who has taken many substances in the past and was always disappointed that they couldn’t give me the kind of calm and peace and even transcendence that I had always sought, something happened during the baptism process that was incredible, overwhelming, literally overwhelming because I was obviously underwater and it was the Thames.”

Before converting to Christianity, Brand was “into Hinduism,” according to his ex-wife Katy Perry. He made his Christian faith public for years, but began posting his thoughts on Christianity on social media in 2023 – the same year he was accused by four women in a scathing television documentary of rape and physical and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013. Since then, more women have come forward to either accuse Brand of other assaults or to say they believed the accusers.

Brand denied the allegations before the documentary was released, saying all of his relationships had been consensual. In January, he called the allegations a “public fabrication” in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.

The myriad accusations against him have not stopped him from expressing the “transcendental” experience Brand has as a Christian. Before speaking online about his baptism, he argued in another video last week that Christianity is “inherently political” because Jesus “was quite radical when it came to confrontations with power and was willing to say things that are challenging.”

In the new video, Brand says he feels “changed, transformed” by the baptism and that he understands the cynicism his video triggers – not because of the accusations about his behavior, but because “people see me as a celebrity.”

“I realize that in this space, in the world of social media, anything can be exploited and used,” he said. “For me, it’s like this: I made the decision and I know what the decision is. I made it for myself and prayed that it would be relevant for my family.”

“This is my path now and I already feel incredibly blessed,” he added.

Russell Brand receives applause at sold-out show despite shocking allegations of sexual harassment

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