Since Russell Brand was publicly accused of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse last weekend, celebrities and commentators have desperately attempted to distance themselves from the comedian, be that by reevaluating their past takes on his many controversies, or by gloating that, actually, they knew he was a horrible man all along. Amid this scramble for basic social decency, we’re happy to report that David Lynch is (once again) on the right side of history.

In 2019, the filmmaker shared a stage with Brand at a joint Q&A where they spoke about their mutual passion for transcendental meditation. (In the past, Brand has even donated money to Lynch’s TM organisation, the David Lynch Foundation.) At the event, however, the moderator also asked Lynch whether he’d ever like to collaborate with Brand in a more official, creative capacity. The brief but unambiguous answer? “No.”

The video goes on to show the Twin Peaks auteur flash a cheeky Lynchian smile, while Brand cracks jokes, presumably trying to cover up the shame of being turned down by one of the world’s greatest living filmmakers in front of a sold-out crowd at LA’s Fonda Theatre. “Absolute king shit,” read comments on a clip posted to Twitter. “David knows.”

Did Lynch really know something that we didn’t, back then? Probably not. But his piercing blue eyes likely saw through Brand’s beard, bare feet, and man bun anyway, and recognised a soul that belonged deep in the Black Lodge, far away from his film sets.

On Saturday (September 16), Brand was accused of committing rape and numerous sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013 as part of a joint investigation by the Times, the Sunday Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches. The behaviour outlined in the report has been described as an “open secret”. Brand denies all claims of misconduct, saying that he is the victim of a “coordinated attack”.

In the wake of the media allegations, the Met Police has also received a seemingly fresh report of an alleged sexual assault in Soho, in 2003, though the force has not yet launched an official investigation. Brand has also been dropped by his agency, book publisher, and streaming services including the BBC, and YouTube has demonetised his channel.

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