Mia Latter has waived her right to anonymity and publicly identified herself as the woman who alleges Russell Brand raped her in 2006, when she was 16 and he was 30. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Latter, now 37, said she came forward to describe the lasting impact of the alleged abuse and call for changes to age-of-consent laws.
Latter first shared her account under the pseudonym "Alice" in a 2023 investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches. She said Brand subjected her to sexual and emotional abuse during a relationship that lasted about three months. At the time, she was studying for her AS-level exams. Latter said she never learned her exam results, left school without completing her A-levels and was later diagnosed with depression.
Brand denied Latter's allegations when they were first published in 2023. Earlier this year, he acknowledged having a relationship with a 16-year-old when he was 30 and maintained that it was consensual. Latter said she had decided to step back from the criminal process. The Metropolitan Police told ITV News that its investigation into her allegation remains open.
Latter's allegation is separate from the case that resulted in Brand's conviction on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four other women. On Nov. 9, a judge at Southwark Crown Court sentenced him to 10 years and six months in prison.
Latter is calling for a staggered age of consent that would restrict sexual relationships between older adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17. She credited Gisèle Pelicot with inspiring her decision to speak under her own name. Government minister Louise Haigh told The Sunday Times that Latter's proposal deserved consideration and scrutiny.
