When Russell Brand's rape conviction came up in our morning news meeting this week, I glanced around the table: nearly every woman shook her head, and we all knew why.
Three of us had covered celebrity news for years – trading war stories about diva tantrums, drunken chaos, and interviews so disastrous they were better fodder for the office than the page.
asserted
they → come → page
But this morning, it hit us: we'd all met Brand.
asserted
we → hit → Brand
'I had a terrifying encounter with that man,' Senior Reporter Karleigh Smith revealed.
'I had a run‑in with him in LA and it still gives me chills,' another female colleague added.
asserted
colleague → have → chills
'Yeah, I've got a creepy Russell Brand story too,' I chimed in.
asserted
I → get → story
What's disturbing is that we'd all crossed paths with him during the same period -between 2006 and 2013, when he was accused and, later, convicted of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.
asserted
he → cross → rape
My encounter was in April 2011, just six months after Brand married Katy Perry in Rajasthan, India.
asserted
Brand → marry → Rajasthan
He was in Sydney to promote Arthur, the comedy remake where he played the lead.
asserted
he → promote → lead
Brand was in Sydney to promote the movie Arthur when I interviewed him on the red carpet
The comedian had recently married singer Katy Perry when I asked him about his future plans for a family
He held a press conference at The Ivy on April 14 and attended the Australian premiere at Event Cinemas, Bondi Junction, the following day.
At the time, I was working for a glossy women's magazine, and Brand had been on our radar ever since he started dating Katy.
asserted
he → promote → Katy
I'm a Brit myself and I really liked him.
asserted
I → like → him
I was so excited to interview him on the red carpet that I even invited my younger sister along.
asserted
I → interview → sister
I remember us waving frantically to catch his attention as he was escorted past the media, stopping for the odd photo and saying a few words for the TV cameras.
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he → remember → cameras
I couldn't believe my luck when we made eye contact and he wandered over.
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he → believe → contact
Better still, his PR team seemed distracted, so he came over alone.
asserted
he → seem → ?
His team were there to promote the movie, but I wanted something more personal – preferably something about his new wife.
asserted
I → promote → wife
As he came closer, he fixed those unmistakable wide eyes on the two of us.
asserted
he → come → us
The intensity caught me off guard.
asserted
intensity → catch → guard
'Hey Russell, congrats on the movie and your recent wedding to Katy,' I began, keeping one eye on his team across the carpet.
asserted
I → begin → carpet
My colleague Karleigh (right) also had a creepy story about Brand after encountering him at the studio taping of Rove in LA
He didn't say a word.
asserted
He → have → word
He just leant in closer, close enough that I could feel his breath on my face.
uncertain
I → lean → face
'I'm with Woman's Day and this is my sister,' I continued, nodding towards her.
asserted
I → continue → her
'I was wondering if you had thought about babies... starting a family?
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babies → wonder → family
If you had baby plans?'
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you → have → plans
He paused and slowly looked us both up and down.
asserted
He → pause → us
'Babies,' he said, half smirking and licking his lips.
asserted
he → say → lips
I felt a little embarrassed.
asserted
I → feel → ?
'Yeah babies, with Katy,' I clarified as he continued his intense stare for a while longer.
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he → clarify → while
'Or with sisters?' he asked.
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he → ask → sisters
I'm not going to lie.
asserted
I → go → ?
At the time, we thought it was kind of funny and we were enjoying the attention.
asserted
we → think → attention
He was a famous comedian, newly married to an international superstar, and it felt like a big deal that he was talking to us at all.
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he → marry → us
Like both of us?' I asked, giggling and he slowly nodded.
asserted
he → ask → us
He asked if we were going to the premiere screening and the after-party.
asserted
we → ask → screening
I explained we only had red carpet access.
asserted
we → explain → access
Then he asked where we were going afterwards.
asserted
we → ask → ?
He said he wanted to talk more about 'having babies with sisters', and questioned if we really were 'sisters from Cornwall'.
asserted
we → say → Cornwall
I kept expecting him to crack a smile so we could all laugh at the joke.
uncertain
we → keep → joke
He never did.
asserted
He → do → ?
He just kept staring at us, licking his lips.
asserted
He → keep → lips
It kind of stopped feeling funny by then.
asserted
It → stop → ?
We didn't have any plans for after and when we said we were going home, he did that little half smirk again.
asserted
he → have → smirk
…and 33 more, not listed.
The Aporia
