Russell Brand Brags About 'Planting One' on Meghan Markle in Unearthed Clip: 'I Was Still Out Of It'
Russell Brand once bragged about sharing an on-screen kiss with Meghan Markle, long before she became the Duchess of Sussex.
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.
Russell Brand once bragged about sharing an on-screen kiss with Meghan Markle, long before she became the Duchess of Sussex. During a 2018 interview, the English actor reflected on the moment, recalling how it came about early in his career. When host Andrea McLean of ITV’s Loose Women inquired about the rumor that Brand had 'snogged' Markle, he confirmed, “As a matter of fact it is,” adding that it was only because she was co-starring with him in a film from 2010.
He stressed, “Before you get carried away with it. It’s because she was in a film that I was in, Get Him To The Greek.” Alluding to Prince Harry, he further explained that he 'wasn’t paying attention' at the time since the mother of two was not married to 'a royal person.' So the fact hardly crossed his mind. “I don’t remember the film that much because I was still out of it. I think I planted one on her,” Brand shared. “I only know this because I think I saw a clip of it somewhere. So Meghan Markle, there we go,” the actor said, downplaying the now sensational moment. Markle was featured in the film as a guest star alongside other notable names like Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Lars Ulrich.
The interview resurfaced when Brand faced a series of sexual assault allegations. A joint probe by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches revealed that Brand was accused of sexual abuse by four women, including one minor, from 2006 to 2013, a time when the actor enjoyed peak fame. The Sunday Times reported that at least one of the incidents happened in his LA home, with a woman later treated at a crisis center. Meanwhile, another was allegedly assaulted when she was 16, during an abusive and controlling relationship with Brand. The actor also reportedly threatened to take legal action against one woman if she tried to report him to anyone following the assault.
Brand, however, denied the same. “These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous,” Brand said in the ITV interview. Having openly discussed having multiple partners in his books, he argued that his transparency and promiscuity were painted as a criminal 'agenda' by these women and publications. He asserted that all of his relationships were completely consensual.
If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)
