Russell Brand's ex-girlfriend Jemima Goldsmith accuses UK comedian of physical abuse: ‘I had to call the police’

Jemima Goldsmith, who previously dated comedian and actor Russell Brand, has come forward with allegations of violence, coercive control and abuse during their relationship, revealing that she once contacted the police following a violent incident at her home.Jemima Goldsmith has described her experience of abuse by Russell Brand and voiced support for women who testified against him.Goldsmith, 52, who was romantically involved with Brand for approximately a year around 2014, said she had asked police to remove him from her property but decided against pursuing criminal charges at the time.Goldsmith speaks out as Russel Brand gets 10.5 years in jailIn a lengthy statement shared on social media, Goldsmith expressed support for the women who testified against Brand during his trial. She said she was "in awe of the courageous women who came forward at Brand's trial" and felt "glad and relieved" that he had "finally faced justice".“I have had my own personal experience of his violence, coercive control and abuse. 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 and not to go public with this, as I was worried about the impact of the press attention on my then teenage children," she wrote.Goldsmith added that she had not seen or communicated with Brand since 2014. Although she acknowledged that her experience was different from the suffering described by the women who testified in court, she said the incident had left a lasting effect on her life.Also Read: UK comedian Russell Brand gets 10-year jail term after conviction in sexual assault caseRussell Brand sentencing: Here's what judge saidGoldsmith's allegations come after Brand, 51, received a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence on Monday following his conviction for rape and sexual assault.The comedian was found guilty of raping a woman at his residence in 2009 and committing three separate sexual assaults against three other women.During the sentencing proceedings, the judge strongly criticised Brand's behaviour towards women, saying he displayed a "casual arrogant disregard to any woman's right to say no to you".The judge also observed that Brand's celebrity status had seemingly encouraged him to believe that "you could act when you liked and how you liked".Goldsmith addresses controversy surrounding harassment injunctionIn her statement, Goldsmith also addressed the media coverage and online discussions surrounding a harassment injunction involving Brand, herself and another woman, Berki.She claimed that reports about the injunction had created "an untrue narrative" and exposed her to significant online hostility, including what she described as "vile hatred and abuse online".The dispute dates back to June 2014, when Berki was booked to provide Brand with a massage at Goldsmith's residence. Berki subsequently made allegations about Brand to the police. It is understood that police concluded there was no case to answer at the time.Goldsmith maintained that she had been present throughout the massage appointment and had not witnessed any inappropriate conduct.“I was present the whole time he was with her, and I did not see anything untoward, despite the fact that he was later found guilty of sexually assaulting other women and he later physically assaulted me. If I saw any man abuse any woman under any circumstances, I would do my utmost to stop them, without hesitation,” she stated.Allegations of online harassment lead to legal actionGoldsmith, who married former Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan in 1995, further alleged that several inaccurate reports about the incident appeared in the tabloid press. She also claimed that Berki engaged in a pattern of threatening behaviour through online posts and emails.Following these developments, Brand and Goldsmith sought a harassment injunction against Berki.The High Court then granted the injunction. The decision was made by Justice Jay, a former leading counsel involved in the Leveson Inquiry.The existence of the injunction became public following Brand's conviction after it was highlighted by Tax Policy Associates, a non-profit campaigning thinktank established by former tax lawyer Dan Neidle.