Katharine McPhee: Russell Brand’s Uncomfortable Behavior On “The Tonight Show”

A resurfaced video from 2013 shows disgraced British comic Russell Brand suggestively bouncing singer Katharine McPhee on his knee during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Brand, 48, has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse by four women stretching from 2006 to 2013. He has denied the claims.

In the three-and-a-half-minute clip, Brand jokingly refused to move from his chair alongside Fallon, 48, when McPhee, 39, came over to chat with the host. He then grabbed McPhee’s hand and she sat on his lap, as Brand told Fallon, “She’s welcome to sit here.”

“No, Russell, don’t even say for the Queen, you can’t,” Fallon said, referring to McPhee, who looked uncomfortable. Brand then shouted “for the Queen!” as he bounced a shocked McPhee on his knee before she quickly stood up.

“Russell, please stop,” Fallon implored Brand. “Look away.”

“I’ll just be here, with my sexual charisma,” Brand creepily responded — and then proceeded to flirt with McPhee during her interview with Fallon.

“As you know, I’ve announced it, I find Katharine very attractive and I think when she said ‘exchange numbers’ I thought of things that I’d like to exchange with her,” Brand said. He then shouted, somewhat nonsensically, “Numbers. And genes. Genetic info. Data.”

“What is happening right now!” McPhee exclaimed.

He finally stopped when the conversation turned to McPhee’s husband, Nick Cokas. The pair later split and she married David Foster in 2019.

“You can drop that guy any day!” Brand said to a shocked McPhee.

“Russell, no! Russell, no!” Fallon said, laughing.

“I didn’t know you were married,” Brand said sheepishly. “I’m going to f–k off now.”

The video has sparked outrage online, with viewers condemning Brand’s behavior and Fallon for not doing more to stop him.

“This is so uncomfortable to watch. I can’t believe Russell Brand got away with this for so long,” one Twitter user wrote.

“Fallon should have been more assertive and told Brand to stop,” another user added. “This is unacceptable behavior.”

McPhee has not commented publicly on the video.

The resurfaced video is a reminder of the pervasive problem of sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry. It is also a reminder that we all have a role to play in speaking out against this type of behavior and creating a safe and respectful environment for everyone.