Russell Brand has been accused of sexually assaulting an extra on a movie shoot in a civil lawsuit filed in the US.
During the filming of romantic comedy Arthur in July 2010, the comedian is alleged to have exposed himself to the unnamed woman before following her into the bathroom and sexually assaulting her.
Brand is facing accusations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse following British media reports.
He denies the allegations and says their relationships were «always consensual.»
Brand has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
British police have said they are investigating a series of allegations made against Brand, but the case, filed in New York State Supreme Court on Friday, marks the first time such allegations have been made in a lawsuit.
In a sworn statement, the woman, known as Jane Doe, claims the actor «appeared intoxicated, smelled of alcohol and was carrying a bottle of vodka on set» before the July 7, 2010 attack.
He then exposed himself to his accuser in full view of the cast and crew, the papers say.
Later that day, the plaintiff says Brand entered the bathroom behind her and assaulted her while «a member of the production team watched the door from outside.»
The film studio Warner Bros. Pictures and other companies involved in the production are also named as defendants.
The woman says that as a result of the alleged abuse she suffers extreme shame, shame and fear, and finds it difficult to trust others.
She says she has professional concerns about being named in association with the case, as she still works as an actress and fears they could be «blacklisted in the industry.»
He is reportedly seeking unspecified damages from the British actor.
The document says that she was initially booked for three days, but after the attack she was not returned for the following days and was only paid for one.
He also fears harassment from his followers if his identity is revealed, the newspapers say.
The case has been brought under the Adult Survivors Act, New York legislation that allows alleged victims of sex crimes for which the statute of limitations has expired to file civil lawsuits for a period of one year between November 24 2022 and November 24, 2023.
The allegations by four women against Brand were first made in a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
They claimed the actor had sexually assaulted them in the UK and Los Angeles over a seven-year period between 2006 and 2013, while he was in high-profile jobs at BBC Radio 2, Channel 4 and as a Hollywood actor.
Since then, the Metropolitan Police said it was investigating allegations of sexual offenses made following media reports about Brand, while Thames Valley Police is also investigating reports of harassment and stalking.
A day before the media investigation into Brand was published online, the comedian shared a video on social media in which he denied the allegations.
In it, he denied «serious criminal accusations» that he said were going to be made against him, and said that their relationships «were absolutely, always consensual.»
