Mia Latter waives anonymity to say Russell Brand raped her at 16

A woman previously known only as Alice has publicly identified herself as Mia Latter, 37, and alleged that Russell Brand raped her when she was 16 and he was 30, according to the Independent's report of an interview in the Sunday Times. She has given up her right to lifelong anonymity to campaign for a change in the law.

The allegation was reported to the Metropolitan Police. Ms Latter has said she has decided not to continue with the criminal process, but the force says its investigation into the alleged rape remains ongoing.

What Mia Latter says happened

Ms Latter told the Sunday Times she first met Brand in Leicester Square, central London, while on her way home from a shopping trip. She said he took her number, messaged her later and asked her to dinner. She said he was working at MTV at the time.

She told the newspaper that Brand still asked to meet her after she told him her age, and that he asked her to keep the relationship secret from her school friends. His entourage knew about it, she said, and he referred to her as “the child” in front of them. She alleges he orally raped her towards the end of a three-month relationship.

Ms Latter was referred to as Alice in earlier reporting by the Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4's Dispatches documentary. According to the newspaper, she spoke to police after the documentary, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to include her case in Brand's trial at Southwark Crown Court.

She said she was told the decision was made after Brand's interviews with Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan, and that she was told prosecutors did not want the case to become a show centred on her pseudonym.

What Brand has said and what he was convicted of

In an interview with the podcaster Megyn Kelly earlier this year, Brand said the age of consent in the UK is 16 and that he did sleep with a 16-year-old when he was 30. He described himself as having been immature at 30. He also said that consensual sex where there is a power imbalance, such as when someone is famous, involves exploitation. He addressed the remark again in an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

Ms Latter's allegation of rape has not been tested in court. Brand was convicted of attacks against four of the six women who gave evidence against him and is serving a 10-and-a-half-year prison term for one count of rape and three sexual assaults.

What the police and CPS say

A Met Police spokesperson said officers began an investigation in January 2026 after receiving an allegation of rape. Detectives sought advice from the CPS and were told that further information was needed before a charging decision could be made.

The spokesperson said the force understood the delay had been distressing for the victim-survivor. The Independent said the CPS had been approached for comment.

Ms Latter said she was happy police had been able to get justice for some of the women involved, and praised the police work that had gone into the case, but said she found the process criminalising. She said she did not know what capacity she had to give years more of her life to it, and that it had taken a toll on her marriage and family life.

What it means: the age of consent campaign

Ms Latter says she is using her platform to push for a staggered age of consent. Under her proposal, relationships between adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17 would become illegal. She says she hopes this would protect teenagers from grooming.

She told the newspaper that she finds it shocking that, whenever news about Brand resurfaces, the discussion keeps returning to the relationship with a 16-year-old. She said she believes most people agree that adults should not be allowed to have sexual relationships with anyone under 18, and that this does not seem like a huge leap.

The story puts the spotlight on the existing law, which Brand himself cited in his interview: the age of consent in the UK is 16.

What happens next

The Met says its investigation remains ongoing, and the CPS has yet to comment. Ms Latter has said she will focus on her campaign rather than the criminal process.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Independent

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