Mia Latter: why I am naming Russell Brand and fighting for a staggered age of consent

Mia Latter, 37, waived her lifelong anonymity on 14 November 2026 to allege that Russell Brand raped her when she was 16 and he was 30. She had previously been known as 'Alice' in reporting by the Sunday Times, The Times, and a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary.

Latter alleged the abuse occurred during a three-month relationship that began in 2006, when she was studying for AS-levels. She said Brand approached her in London while she was out shopping and he was working at MTV, and that he continued to pursue her after she disclosed her age. She alleged Brand sent BBC-funded taxis to take her out of school to his flat for sex, and that he orally raped her towards the end of the relationship. She said her school attendance dropped to 30 percent, she never completed her A-levels, and she struggled with depression and shame.

Latter has decided not to continue with the criminal process due to the personal toll, but the Metropolitan Police confirmed its investigation into the alleged rape remains ongoing.

Brand, 51, is serving a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being convicted of raping one woman in 2009 and sexually assaulting three women between 2004 and 2009. He was sentenced on Monday 9 November 2026 and sent to HM Prison Wandsworth, with expected transfer to HMP Wakefield. A further eight women have come forward with sexual abuse and predatory behaviour allegations since his sentencing.

This is the first time one of Brand's accusers has publicly attached her name to an allegation, which could encourage others to come forward and adds public pressure to the ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation. It also shifts the story from a criminal conviction to a live legal-reform campaign: Latter is using her experience to argue the UK's 16-year-old age of consent — set in 1885 — fails to protect teenagers from adults. She is campaigning for a staggered age of consent that would make sexual relationships between adults and 16-17 year olds illegal.

The Metropolitan Police investigation continues.