Russell Emblem has been accused of rape, sexual attack and emotional abuse following an investigation via Channel 4, The Instances and The Sunday Instances.
The actor, comic and presenter had already denied what he termed “very critical prison allegations” in a video that was once launched the day past night time (September 15). Within the video, Emblem insisted that his relationships have at all times been consensual.
The allegations in opposition to Emblem relate to a seven 12 months length “on the top of his reputation” between 2006 and 2013 in step with The Sunday Instances and are available from 4 ladies, one in every of whom was once 16 on the time. On the time of the allegations, Emblem was once a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4.
One of the most ladies alleged that Emblem raped her in opposition to a wall in his LA house and that she went directly to be handled at a rape disaster centre the similar day. Some other alleged that Emblem assaulted her when she was once elderly 16 all through an emotionally abusive and controlling courting.
A 3rd lady claims that Emblem sexually assaulted her in Los Angeles and later threatened to take felony motion if she spoke in regards to the allegation to any person else. A fourth lady described being sexually assaulted via Emblem and in addition claimed he was once each bodily and emotionally abusive against her.
Different allegations come with group contributors on his Giant Brother spin-off display, Giant Brother’s Giant Mouth being made to really feel as although they have been running as a “pimp” for Emblem via drawing near younger ladies on his behalf. One claimed he seemed in his resort room in his undies and instructed a “quickie” whilst every other claimed he flashed his penis against her in his dressing room.
A researcher additionally claimed Emblem’s behaviour whilst running on EFourum and Giant Brother’s Giant Mouth was once reported to manufacturing managers at Endemol, the corporate generating the presentations after being commissioned to take action via Channel 4. Consistent with The Sunday Instances, they allege that they “complained about Emblem pursuing target market contributors for intercourse however claims their considerations have been brushed aside.” The researcher went onto declare that he was once advised via a skill supervisor, “it’s what occurs with the skill. Boys can be boys. It’s no longer a large deal.”
A spokesman for Banijay UK, which purchased Endemol in 2020, mentioned it might in finding no data of problems about Emblem being raised officially or mentioned with Endemol.
In a commentary to The Sunday Instances, it mentioned: “We take our responsibility of care to our solid, group and group of workers extraordinarily critically. Whilst the legacy corporate, Endemol, did have a code of behavior, enhance insurance policies and escalation procedures in position all through the length in query, they weren’t as tough as our present processes. We’re sorry those ladies didn’t really feel supported and safe whilst running on those productions and in gentle of those critical allegations inspire to them to touch us in self belief.”
A spokesman for Channel 4 added: “Channel 4 is appalled to be informed of those deeply troubling allegations together with behaviour purported to have taken position on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007. We’re made up our minds to grasp the overall nature of what went on. We have now performed intensive record searches and feature discovered no proof to indicate the alleged incidents have been delivered to the eye of Channel 4.
“We can proceed to check this in gentle of any more knowledge we obtain, together with the accounts of the ones affected people. We can be asking the manufacturing corporate who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to research those allegations and record their findings correctly and satisfactorily to us.”
A former private assistant for Emblem, Helen Berger who labored for the presenter in 2006, claimed he brazenly confirmed intimate footage of ladies to his pals. She additionally claimed he was once a “narcissist” who would regularly simplest put on undies whilst she labored. Some other assistant was once allegedly advised via Emblem all through her interview that he “appreciated to stroll round with not anything on.”
In his video commentary forward of the claims being printed as of late, Emblem mentioned he “completely” denied the prison allegations in relation to his private existence, which he mentioned have been defined in two “extraordinarily aggravating letters” to him.
Emblem mentioned he gained the letters from a “mainstream media TV corporate” and a newspaper which he mentioned integrated a “litany of extraordinarily egregious and competitive assaults”.
“Amidst this litany of astonishing, moderately baroque assaults are some very critical allegations that I completely refute,” he mentioned.
“Those allegations pertain to the time when I used to be running within the mainstream, when I used to be within the newspapers at all times, when I used to be within the motion pictures, and as I’ve written about widely in my books, I used to be very, very promiscuous.”
He endured: “Now all through that point of promiscuity the relationships I had have been completely, at all times consensual. I used to be at all times clear about that then, nearly too clear, and I’m being clear about it now as neatly.
“To peer that transparency metastasised into one thing prison, that I completely deny, makes me query – is there every other schedule at play?”
Emblem added that he believed he was once part of a “coordinated assault”, likening it to the talk within the media round Joe Rogan selling ivermectin as a remedy for COVID-19 (in spite of it no longer being recommended as an efficient remedy).
This is occurring %.twitter.com/N8zIKLbJN2
— Russell Emblem (@rustyrockets) September 15, 2023
“I don’t thoughts them the usage of my books and my stand-up to discuss my promiscuous consensual behavior prior to now. What I critically refute are those very, very critical prison allegations.”
He went on to assert that he knew of witnesses whose proof “immediately contradicts the narrative that those two mainstream media shops are seeking to assemble.”
“I believe like I’m being attacked, and obviously, they’re running very carefully in combination.”
Emblem mentioned he would to “glance into” the subject, re-emphasising that he noticed it as “very, very critical”.
In keeping with the joint investigation, a BBC spokesperson additionally commented. Emblem’s time on the BBC resulted in 2008 after he and presenter Jonathan Ross left a chain of lewd solution telephone messages for actor Andrew Sachs. In them, Emblem claimed he had intercourse with the late-actor’s granddaughter. Emblem and Radio 2’s controller surrender, whilst Ross was once suspended.
In a commentary, the BBC advised The Sunday Instances: “Russell Emblem labored for plenty of other organisations, of which the BBC was once one.
“As is widely recognized, Russell Emblem left the BBC after a significant editorial breach in 2008 – as did the then-controller of Radio 2. The cases of the breach have been reviewed intimately on the time. We are hoping that demonstrates that the BBC takes problems critically and is ready to behave.
“Certainly, the BBC has, over successive years, developed its way to the way it manages skill and the way it offers with proceedings or problems raised.
“We can at all times pay attention to other people if they arrive ahead with any considerations, on any factor associated with anyone running on the BBC, previous or provide.”
NME has reached out to representatives of Emblem, the BBC and Channel 4 for remark.
For assist, recommendation or additional information relating to sexual harassment, attack and rape in the United Kingdom, talk over with the Rape Disaster charity website online. In america, talk over with RAINN.
