Mia Latter alleges that Brand, then 30, began a relationship with her when she was 16 years old

NEED TO KNOW

• Mia Latter, 37, has publicly revealed her identity after anonymously accusing Russell Brand of sexual and emotional abuse
• Latter alleged she was in a relationship with Brand in 2006, when she was 16 and he was 30
• Latter is now advocating for changes to the U.K.’s age-of-consent laws to better protect teenagers from sexual relationships with significantly older adults

A woman who anonymously accused Russell Brand of rape is publicly revealing her identity for the first time, nearly two decades after she says the comedian pursued her when she was a teenager.

Mia Latter has waived her legal right to anonymity to speak about her alleged experiences with Brand, now 51, and advocate for stronger protections for teenagers in the U.K., she told The Times in an interview published Saturday, Nov. 14.

Previously identified only as “Alice” in a 2023 joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches, Latter, now 37, alleged that Brand subjected her to sexual and emotional abuse during a three-month relationship in 2006, when she was 16 and he was 30.

Brand denied the allegations raised in the original investigation.

Latter first made her allegations under a pseudonym in 2023. She later cooperated with the Metropolitan Police, but said the Crown Prosecution Service chose not to include her in Brand’s most recent trial because the actor had previously discussed her allegations publicly on multiple media platforms, and they believed her presence could distract from the case.

“I was devastated by it,” Latter said of not being included in the charges made against him.

Brand was ultimately convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women on Nov. 5. He was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison four days later on Nov. 9.

While speaking to The Times in her recent interview, Latter said she first encountered Brand in London’s Leicester Square while returning from a shopping trip. The then-MTV presenter approached her and asked what she had purchased.

“I recognized him … and he went through my clothes and picked out a dress that he said I was going to wear on our date,” she recalled.

Brand took her phone number and contacted her later that day, according to Latter. After exchanging messages, she disclosed that she was only 16, expecting him to end their conversation.

“I thought that the second I said, ‘I’m 16’ he was going to block me,” she told the outlet. Instead, he proposed dinner the following day. “There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation.”

She said after dinner, she reluctantly accompanied Brand to his apartment, where she alleges he initiated sexual contact despite her attempts to resist.

“I remember closing my legs and trying to push him away a little bit,” she said. “I liked him, but I just wanted to take things slowly.”

As the relationship continued, Latter claims Brand insisted she conceal it from her friends, although people in his circle knew about her. She alleges he sometimes referred to her as “the child” in front of others.

“It wasn’t a secret on his end, but it had to be a secret on my end,” she said.

Latter claims Brand sent cars to collect her while she was supposed to be at school. Her parents tried to prevent the relationship, she said, but she continued seeing him. 

“He wasn’t interested in me for me,” Latter alleged. “I felt like this is his fetish. He likes me because I’m 16 and a virgin.”

Near the end of their relationship, Latter alleges Brand orally raped her at his home, forcing her against a bed’s headboard while she struggled to get free.

“I was choking and crying,” she said, alleging she ultimately hit him in the stomach to stop him. She claims Brand then told her, “I just wanted to see your mascara run.”

PEOPLE reached out to an attorney for Brand for comment on Nov. 14, but did not receive an immediate response.

Latter said she eventually discovered another woman at Brand’s apartment, bringing their relationship to an end. She described the aftermath as devastating to her education and mental health.

“I didn’t complete my A-levels. I dropped out of school and it took me a little while to feel as though I could put one foot in front of the other,” she said, adding that she was diagnosed with depression.

Despite her own allegations not being included in Brand’s recent trial, Latter said she was grateful that other women had received justice. 

“I’m very happy that the police have … managed to get justice for some of the women involved in this case, and a lot of incredible police work has gone into this,” she told The Times.

Latter also expressed admiration for the women who testified against Brand, particularly in light of the intense scrutiny they faced during the proceedings.

“They put him away,” she said. “Some women didn’t get the guilty verdict, but it was definitely a team effort, and I will forever be grateful to them.”

Latter added that she had spent years hoping Brand would be held accountable for his alleged actions.

“I’d waited since I was 16 thinking, ‘It’s gonna happen soon — somebody’s gonna out him’ … I feel like justice has been served,” she said.

Latter is also hoping that sharing her story will help generate awareness for The Close the Consent Gap campaign — an initiative that aims to enact a  “staggered” age of consent in the U.K.

The law would make sexual activity between adults aged 20 and older and 16- or 17-year-olds illegal when the age difference exceeds three years.

“I don’t want to criminalize teenagers having sex with each other,” Latter explained. She believes the law should instead prevent substantially older adults from pursuing sexual relationships with minors.

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“If you’re between the ages of 16 and 18, it seems reasonable that you can have relationships with each other, and [teenagers] are always going to. But … if you’re in your thirties, forties and fifties and you’re trying to have a relationship with someone under the age of 18, it [should be] a criminal offense.”

In a statement to PEOPLE on Nov. 14, the Crown Prosecution Service said, “The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work closely with investigators to provide advice and make sure cases progress as quickly as possible.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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