Elon Musk said Russell Brand is in the throes of a “witch-burning phase” as people condemn him for allegedly sexually assaulting multiple women.
“There needs to be, obviously, a conviction here. It can’t be guilty until proven innocent,” the Tesla founder said in a conversation with Ben Shapiro Thursday.
“Because obviously we’re just sort of in the witch burning phase here; just being declared a witch is enough to make you a witch and be burnt.”
A bombshell exposé from the UK Times claimed the “Get Him to the Greek” star sexually assaulted four women between the years of 2006 and 2013.
Brand vehemently denied the claims ahead of the release of the report.
The accusers, who remain anonymous, included one who claimed she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with him when she was 16 and another who claimed Brand, 48, raped her in Los Angeles in 2012.
The 16-year-old claimed she was in an “emotionally abusive and controlling relationship” with Brand, who once allegedly “forced his penis down her throat” until she gagged.
She allegedly had to punch him in order for him to stop.
Although the comedian has denied the allegations against him, he’s lost his commerce perks from YouTube and had his UK comedy tour postponed.
The SpaceX founder said that people shouldn’t be “destroying” Brand’s life “on the potential of false accusations.”
Musk, 52, also suggested Brand’s been falsely villainized because of his penchant for “rattling the cage” of the “powers that be.”
“Seems like an odd coincidence that it’s happening when Russell is really gaining traction, questioning a lot of the conventional wisdom,” Musk said.
“I think we’re running out of conspiracy theories that didn’t turn out to be true.”
Last week, the “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” actor complained he had been enduring an “extraordinary and distressing” month, but he thanked his supporters for “questioning the information that [they] have been presented with” recently.
