Russell Brand's Ex Makes Explosive Claims! Karen Read Netflix Documentary Backlash | Billy Bush

We are going to welcome in a minute a very special guest over two decades in criminal defense and a barrister extraordinaire from the UK, Mr. Quinton Hunt. What a name, Quinton. Okay. So much to talk about with Quinton. This whole Russell Brand situation is interesting. The man is going to jail for nine years. His ex-girlfriend has spoken out. She has made tremendous waves supporting the different women that have accused Russell Brand, the victims. Interesting as to why over 10 years later and not having spoken throughout the trial, That she's speaking now, Jemima Goldsmith dated Russell for a year, 2013 to 2014. You got Russell Brand's father who came out on his way into court yesterday and he was blaming the girls saying it's the culture, all of that. Thank you for that. It's really quite something. Let's welcome our barrister extraordinaire, Quinton Hunt from the UK. When I see a name like Quinton, I cannot say it like I'm from New York. I just can't. And there he is. Quinton, sit up a little bit higher, my love, so I'm not looking like I'm towering over you. How's that? There you are, my friend. Yeah, that's different. Wow. So, Russell, I mean, the idea that Russell Brand is going to jail for 10 years, he's always been this boorish sort of character with this raunchy sense of humor, I guess, you know, referred to as a sex pest, and he's just... He's nauseating person. But I mean, are people wrapping their heads around the fact that he's actually going away for that long? Well, they are. We've had a string in the UK, a string of high profile celebrities who have been convicted of sexual abuse cases. And this is one in a long line of cases of household names who have fallen from grace. Some people are outraged that the evidence was slim. And that it was 25 years ago. Do you agree from a legal perspective? Was the evidence slim? Was it lacking? Or was there enough? I mean, I'll put this qualification. I wasn't there throughout the case. I often hear media reports of cases I've been involved in. And sometimes I don't recognize it because the media will tend to report on that, which is interesting. But from what I have read, It's one of those cases where you seldom get... Spectators or witnesses to an intimate sexual act between two people. So necessarily, in cases involving allegations of rape, there will only be one person's word against another. So to that extent, it's not unusual. 25 years ago, some people are saying he's a different human being. Now, I happen to believe, in my opinion, that he found the Lord a little bit too late. Seemed to me he knew the ---- was going to hit the fan. And, you know, he's walking around with his Bible. And sitting with Piers Morgan and can't find the Bible chapter for at least three minutes. I mean, it seemed the whole thing seemed a little fraudulent to me. But people are saying 25 years, big difference. He's now married with three children. There hasn't been any allegations in 17 years. You don't have a statute of limitations in the UK, should you? Many people would say no. There's a lot of cases of being involved with historic, what we call historic sexual abuse cases, where victims have been quite frightened to come forward. It's only very recently in the UK have we had reforms to the system where... Complainants aren't put through what was previously a relatively barbaric system, where in rape and sexual assault cases, almost the victim was put on trial. And recent amendments to the law have curtailed that a lot. Do you think the rape victim, if I'm not mistaken, when the incident occurred, she was kind of ushered out of the room so Russell could go watch? A television show, and she went home and she told her father, and I believe, and the jury heard that from the father. Did that move, you think, the jury to convict? Here's a father who's having been told this. It's disgusting to have to hear that about your daughter. We call it evidence of recent complaint amongst lawyers. So it is compelling where you've got something that is reported to the authorities some distance away. So, for example, 25 years away, it can be compelling evidence for a prosecution to put forward something where, well, OK, she hasn't reported it for 25 years, but she did tell her father about it. The same day or the day after, and here is evidence from the father to support that. Right. I mean, imagine how, I mean, the jury must be, it's eight men and four women. I can tell you for the eight men, if I were one of them, I have three daughters, I would be horrified and furious as a, and, you know, that would be enough for me, I'm afraid. The judge, Called him a sexual predator. Clearly did not like Russell Brand. He interrupted the defense a few times. People are taking note of that. In the press, in the court of public opinion, was the judge up to par? Was he above board or was he biased? He is a very well-respected judge. He's a high court judge. He's one of the most senior judges that would hear He was obviously put in place at that court this sort of trial at that time to make sure that somebody with you sufficient experience and clout was presiding over the proceedings. very Thank you very much. It's always hard to tell when you're not a constant spectator how these things develop because often a judge may have a terse exchange with an advocate much. and that can happen um throughout a trial but um sometimes one particular exchange can receive a bit of publicity where actually the judge has been pretty even-handed through the trial. I mean certainly this judge has got an excellent reputation amongst the legal community as being very even-handed and fair He hated Russell Brand. You can see the disdain, it was unbelievable. Barrister Quinton Hunt is with us, over two decades of experience in these criminal courts. What everyone's talking about today is Jemima Goldsmith, who dated Russell Brand for a year. 2013 to 2014 says she suffered at Russell's hands for years, quote, I had to call the police to have him removed from my house in 2014 during a violent incident. I chose not to press charges at the time, not to go public with this, as I was worried about the impact of the press attention on my teenage kids. I've neither seen nor spoken to Russell in that long a period of time. She feels agony for the victims. She said she assisted journalists over several years in exposing Russell Brand. And she names them Ross Erwin, Louisa Compton, Dorothy Byrne. I also undertook to testify in court to his abusiveness if the newspaper that published the victim's accounts were ever to be sued. She is, some might say day late dollar short, why are you doing this now? But she says she was instrumental working behind the scenes to expose him for what she says is violence and coercive control and abuse. Coercive control is something we're hearing a lot of here in the United States. There's this very popular documentary about J.P. Miller, who's a who's a who's a preacher who had a Svengali like grip on his wife. And you hear coercive control. It's really is that something that's that's prevalent in UK courts, meaning that when when when that's heard, when that's on the table, judges tend to be extra punitive. But it's very interesting. So coercive and controlling behaviour is actually a criminal offence in the UK. And it was only brought on the statute books relatively, I say relatively recently, about probably nine or ten years ago from memory. And it started off to try and combat extreme examples of coercion. So, for example, there was a spate of cases in the news Women who were brought over from predominantly predominantly India or Pakistan by their partners. They had their passports taken away. They were married. The husband had complete control over their money. They would tell them what to wear, when to leave the house, what they could and couldn't do. They were effectively prisoners in their own homes. And the legislation was brought in primarily to deal with that sort And over the years, more wide circumstances and certainly some of us practicing it's developed in the criminal law in the UK think things have swung into being used a little bit too far in that where there is a I have to say, where there are domestic problems and domestic allegations made, in a lot of different ways. often controlling and coercive behaviour will be thrown around in a way that, in my view, it was never intended to be by Parliament. It was intended to deal with very serious cases where primarily husbands were completely controlling of their partners. And now it's been, you know, I had a case recently where An allegation of controlling and coercive behaviour was made. It was never proceeded with by the police, but it was things like he told me how he wanted me to wear my hair and he told me that he didn't like me wearing a particular shirt and he was controlling. Well, that's not how I've always thought it was meant to be used. Well, I'll tell you what, if that was, you know, allowed over here, my girlfriend would be in jail for life, life in prison. I swear to God, you're not wearing that shirt. Put that shirt on. That is not attractive. You cannot wear those pants in here and those shoes. Why do you wear Skechers slip-ons, she says. And I say, because they're comfortable and I'm getting ready to be an old. Oh, my God, I can't. I've probably gone too far. But anyway, yeah, I mean, that's one of those things. It's a slippery slope kind of thing. But Russell Brand, you know, he has a, he's just, his behavior has been, you have to separate the moral from the legal, right? His behavior is reprehensible. He's sort of, you know, disgusting the way he, you know, talks about, I mean, what's that clip of, I can't remember, my producer Lauren knows. That woman, Vanessa something, he's on television talking about, can I sleep with one of your daughters? And she's 15 years old, and he just has no boundaries. But I guess he was a childish 30. He grew up. He says he found the Lord. He has a child that has some type of disability. He's, you know, I guess he does have some sympathizers in the UK. But he's going away for a minimum of seven years, right? He has to serve two-thirds of the term, Barrister Hunt. What is it like in the prison where he will be? Is he safe? Will he get special treatment? Generally speaking, he won't get special treatment. That doesn't happen. If there's a threat to him, he'll be segregated. So particularly sexual offenders, if they are seen to be a target or if the prison service have intelligence that they might be a target, they'll be segregated into a special protection wing. But otherwise, he'll be treated as a normal prisoner. UK prisons are generally speaking not too violent compared to perhaps some internationally. Certainly in my two and a half decades at the Criminal Bar I've never had an experience of a client meet violence in prison with Unless they were looking for it, if I'm honest. It's one of those things where in UK prisons, if you go out looking for trouble, you'll find it. But if you don't and you keep yourself to yourself, then generally speaking, if you're not high profile or a celebrity, then you'll be able to just do your time with your head down, get out the other end. Yeah, I guess if he had blurred lines about consent before this criminal case, I'm guessing as he heads into prison, he has a very clear understanding now how he feels about consent. As he heads into maybe possibly a rough jail, might be very clear. There's another case that is very odd. It involves a man whose name has been revealed within the last 10 hours or so, So David Walliams. He was on Britain's Got Talent, a children's author, a television personality, rather famous person. He was battling in court against The Guardian and ITV, I think, or ITN, to keep his identity sealed because he has been accused by a bunch of women for grooming young women. And trying to promising them things like a big career and all that to try and, you know, have sex with them. And he said through his lawyers, if my identity becomes known, I'll take my life. I'm at risk of my own. So he said, if you if you release my identity, that alone will destroy me, even though I'm an innocent man. He says just which which, by the way, we've seen. I mean, even just allegations can do that. But this man threatened, he's tried to kill himself before he said, and he said very clearly that his life would be in danger from self-harm if he was to be revealed. Did you expect for this to happen? Are you surprised that the judge ruled in favor of releasing his name? And now we know the world knows it. How did you take all that? I'm not surprised personally, but there's a balancing act isn't there? There's a balancing act between the public interest in the right to know and the press's right to report on things. And obviously the interest of somebody and their health and well-being, etc. And I think that the appeal court judges looked at things and felt that the public interest in allowing the freedom of the press to report on matters of public interest outweighed the particular circumstances that he was complaining about in respect of his own threat to himself, if you like. Is he a big deal? I don't, none of us in America have ever heard of David Walliams. How big a deal is he? If he's a judge on Britain's Got Talent, or was, I mean, he's obviously very well known. Yeah, he's a proper household name. Really? I would say virtually everyone in the UK will have heard of him. He's a very, very popular children's author and has spent decades on television. A children's author grooming young women. It's like it's the worst. It's almost cliche it's so bad. Is he, knowing the court system as you do, Barrister Hunt, is he in trouble? Is he going away? Is it going to be an ugly road for him? So, Billy, I've got to be very careful about there are very strict rules in the UK and in England about commenting on cases that are under investigation and haven't happened yet. OK, I we have professional conduct rules with barristers where we can't really comment on that sort of thing, unfortunately. OK, some of the allegations that I have heard, you know, they're some the age of consent in the UK is 17, right? Sixteen. Sixteen. Okay, because one woman said, you know, he pulled her in, and I'm just not asking you to comment here, but into an alleyway after a show or something, into a dark corner, and then he was lifted up her top and was kissing her. She was 15 when this happened, and then she alleges that she went to his house and they had sex when she was 17. She said that she consented, but that in retrospect, the power dynamic was too much, the whole thing. But 17, if it's 16, then it was legal. That's one of those things where you're a sick person, you're in your 30s, you're, what the hell are you doing with a 17-year-old? However, legal. Can I just tell you guys, just tell all of the judges, can we raise the level, the age of consent? 16 is too young. That's crazy. Should be 18, don't you think? I agree with you. At the very least, a lot of lawyers are of the view that, particularly in the UK, there should be tiered consent. So, for example, somebody over the age of 16 can't consent to have sex with somebody who's over 10 years older than them. Which would prevent, and if, for example, you are a 16 year old who's truly in love with your English teacher or whatever, you can wait till you're 18 before you have sexual intercourse with them. But there is. Because there's a fine line, isn't there, between two 16-year-olds who may choose to have sexual activity with each other, if mature enough, within the UK, that there wouldn't be much frowning upon that. And a 16-year-old and a 50-year-old, for example, which I personally think would be repulsive in any circumstances. So my personal view is that there should be a change in the law. To reflect that and stop predatory behavior by people who are a lot older. Wow. Barrister Quentin Hunt, thank you so much for joining us and enlightening us. And we're always so fascinated with what's happening with you over there in the UK, the British. And you likewise with us, I'm sure. Sure. Right? It's a special relationship. It's a special relationship. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you.