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On his podcast Stay Free with Russell Brand, which aired on Rumble on April 28, Russell Brand claimed that the powerful elites are allegedly compromised through s*xual opportunities by inviting them into situations like those on Jeffrey Epstein's island.
Epstein Island, also known as Little Saint James, was owned by financier and convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein from 1998 to 2019. This 72-acre private island is situated in the U.S. Virgin Islands, southeast of St. Thomas in the Caribbean.
On April 30, 2025, British actor and comedian Russell Brand uploaded a clip of the podcast on X.
"The Epstein saga reveals how power is manipulated through compromise. From Diddy parties to long-standing rumors about politicians, a clear pattern of se*ual exploitation for control and blackmail is obvious," the caption read.
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In the video, Brand claimed the connection between power, explicit activities, and blackmail in elite sections. He commented that the elite section of society, whether through Epstein's parties or the infamous rapper P. Diddy's "white parties," are welcomed in situations where they may engage in explicit behaviours which make them "vulnerable" to potential blackmail.
He suggested that if viewers explore this situation without judgment while considering certain important principles, such as "innocent until proven guilty," it's possible that people went to the island to have "decadent and hedonistic fun" and not necessarily to commit a crime.
"If we look at it open-mindedly and bear in mind vital principles like innocent until proven guilty, it's possible that people went to those islands in order to have decadent and hedonistic fun," Russell Brand said.
He further urged viewers to ask themselves whether they would be strong enough to "resist the lure of decadent, hedonistic fun," and whether seeking such pleasure could lead to "criminality, abuse, exploitation." He suggested that there is an overlap between these situations.
"Why do these stories remain difficult to corroborate?" —Russell Brand questions legacy media's silence
Later in his podcast, Russell Brand pointed out the legacy media's silence surrounding these cases, questioning why they don't report on these cases sufficiently. He asked:
"Why do these stories remain difficult to corroborate? What is the information that's withheld? What is the information that's amplified? Why does this happen? I suppose, if we look at it open-mindedly and bear in mind vital principles like innocent until proven guilty."
Brand further referred to the rumours surrounding the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Ted Heath, being allegedly involved in s**ually exploiting minors.
He suggested that these stories might not only reflect their desire to have "unusual predilection for having s*x with minors and children" but also about making sure these people stay compromised.
What happened to Jeffrey Epstein?
In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting pr**tit*tion and soliciting a minor and served 13 months in county jail, spending most days outside because he was granted "work release" privileges.
In 2019, at the age of 66, Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in New Jersey for alleged s*x trafficking and conspiracy to commit s*x trafficking of minors by federal prosecutors, after which he committed suicide in a Manhattan jail in August 2019, after pleading not guilty to the charges.
A local harbor told CBS News in 2020 that a boat labeled with "LSJ" was used to transport staff members and supplies to Epstein Island.
In an attempt to secure damages related to Jeffrey Epstein's activities on the private island, Denise George's office also sued his estate, securing a $105 million settlement on behalf of the U.S. Virgin Islands. When asked about filing a lawsuit after his death, George said:
"Why not now? I cannot speak to what happened in the past, what I do know is that because of Epstein's wealth and power he was able to conceal a lot of this."
The lawsuit stated that Jeffrey Epstein would allegedly fly his private jet to Epstein Island in a way that "helps with the concealment," and used two helicopters to "transport young women and underage girls between St. Thomas and Little St. James."
Meanwhile, his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was found guilty of helping Jeffrey Epstein se*xual abuse women and minors. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022.
In 2023, Stephen Deckoff, the founder of private equity firm Black Diamond Capital Management, bought the infamous Epstein Island and its neighboring island, Great St. James, for $60 million. He plans to convert the island into a luxury resort, as reported by Forbes.
