Comedian and actor, turned conspiracy theorist and content creator, Russell Brand recently made headlines for his conversion to Christianity and highly public baptism. His spiritual journey, which began with Buddhism, Hinduism, and New Age spirituality, recently culminated in his baptism by newfound friend and survival expert Bear Grylls in the River Thames on 30th April. In a viral TikTok video posted the day after, Brand described the experience as “incredibly profound” and “undertaken in gratitude and sincerity.” He stated, “I’ve been Christian for a month now, and it’s been a big change.”
Brand’s conversion came months after a major investigation by Channel 4 and The Times into allegations made by multiple women. The alleged incidents, occurring between 2006 and 2013, include rape, sexual assault, and abusive and grooming behaviour. The Metropolitan The police have questioned Brand under caution as part of their investigation. He has consistently denied all accusations.
Brand responded to the scepticism about his authenticity by saying, “I recognise that anything in this terrain, in this social media world, could be exploited and utilised. For me, I have made the decision, and I’ve made it for myself, and I know what that decision is, and I’ve made it for myself.” Despite the controversy, this rhetoric has garnered him significant support online within the Christian community.
Journalists such as Krish Kandiah, writing for Premier Christianity, have compared Brand to Saul, the converted persecutor of Christians, to emphasise that God offers unconditional love and forgiveness. Similarly, Gavin Ashenden of the Catholic Herald expressed no surprise at Brand’s conversion, noting that Brand had been “at the bottom of the ethical ladder” and now found the concept of salvation personally attractive. Comments on his videos reflect this positive reception, with messages like “The ultimate glow up! You are truly glowing,” “Amen, welcome to the family in Christ, be blessed,” and “Congratulations!!! Welcome home!!”, as well as “God bless you” from rapper Stormzy.
However, scepticism persists within the Christian community regarding Brand’s continued promotion of New Age spirituality on his social media. For example, on 29th April, he promoted the divinatory uses of tarot cards, which many Christians would define as witchcraft. He has also not renounced his former spiritual ideas or practices. David Hoffman for The Christian Post argues that a Christian must “believe in the exclusivity of Christ and His unique divinity, the sinfulness of man, the need for salvation through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, repentance from sin, and total trust and faith in Jesus Christ.” Hoffman contends that Brand does not fully understand what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus.
Personally, I do not take issue with Brand’s seeming missteps in practising Christianity, as even a “baby Christian,” as he calls himself, is still figuring out how to practise their faith. However, from an atheist perspective, I question the timing of his conversion and how his newfound faith has supported his framing of the allegations against him.
Brand suggests he turned to religion in response to what he perceives as a “coordinated media attack” aimed at silencing his criticism of mainstream media. He describes the allegations as an encounter with the presence of evil, which led him to a point “where the figure, the personage, the presence of Christ became overwhelming, unavoidable, welcome, [and] necessary.” In a brief response video released on YouTube on 15th September last year, Brand did not acknowledge that the accusations came from women he knew and had been sexually involved with. Instead, he dismissed them as part of a coordinated and fabricated attack by the “legacy media,” quickly labelling them as “another agenda at play.” He invoked arguments his channel has made for years about governmental control.
It is hard not to suspect that Brand’s years of building a channel dedicated to criticising the establishment and promoting ideas of a government-level conspiracy were perhaps in preparation for a time when accusations might surface against him. His rapid response to call on his supporters and frame the allegations as an attack on his freedom of speech supports this idea. His recent conversion to Christianity and the resulting media attention—highlighting his new friendship with Bear Grylls and his baptism—seem convenient. It appears to act as a smokescreen, diverting attention from the serious allegations made by the women who have spoken out against him.
Furthermore, Brand’s intentions behind his Christianity and anti-establishment content can be doubted, given his frequent promotion of the very systems of thought he claims to be spiritually above. For instance, in a TikTok video posted on 22nd May discussing Pentecost, he mentions “humanists, materialists, and atheists” together, then ends the video by asking for financial support for his channel. He claims, “commercialisation and consumerism [are] the default religions of our time.” He declares himself part of a spiritual movement away from modern values, criticising deteriorating value systems and institutions. However, none of his YouTube content is posted without a sponsored break, often for commercial products.
In the same video from 22nd May, he declares that “humanists, materialists, and atheists” only act based on a “hunch” that their actions are good, implying that without being “infused with the Holy Spirit,” it’s “impossible to access through rationality that good is real.” This reflects a common Christian argument that atheists, lacking higher guidance, do not know right from wrong. If his Christianity is genuine and he believes this, then his previous years before finding God make more sense. Therefore, if at forty-nine he has finally found guidance and a conscience, that is positive.
However, his evangelicalism seems disingenuous because it still lacks accountability and spreads persuasive hate, designed to encourage distrust in established organisations while urging his audience to trust him instead. His channel presents both the problem and the solution, suggesting that his intentions are not honourable.
For years, in his stand-up routines, Russell Brand has joked about being a manipulative liar. In 2013, he presented and toured his comedy show ‘Messiah Complex,’ where he concluded by saying, “I worship divine sexual female energy.” He then added, “I’m saying that not only because it’s true but also because it’s nearly the end of the show now, and I know that if I say stuff like that about women and divine sexual energy at the end of the evening, there’s no way I’m not getting laid after the show tonight.” In 2007, during his tour ‘Russell Brand: Doin’ Life,’ he joked, “I can pretend to be nice for a little bit of time at the beginning of a relationship, pretending to be quite nice.”
Open about his misleading techniques with women, he dismissed any inappropriate sexual behaviour as part of his character. His 2009 comments make clear that he knows saying the right thing to the right group will get him what he wants. While claiming that he does actually “worship divine sexual feminine energy,” he makes it clear that he knows how to manipulate those around him.
Whether Brand genuinely believes in Christ now and his baptism is authentic, we may never know. Either way, it is clear he knows how to say the right thing to the right people to get his way. True or not, Brand’s very public conversion seems calculated to intensify his already successful strategy to divert attention from the legitimacy of the allegations against him and to cement himself as a figure within a powerful and loyal social group.
His strategy appears to be successful, as his platform’s popularity and view count have dramatically increased, and he is now in the news for his religious conversion rather than the sexual misconduct allegations. However, the investigation into him is still ongoing, and his ploy may not last long. Soon, I hope he will be in the news again, but not on his terms.
