Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

The rise and fall of ​Russell Brand

Russell Brand was once considered so culturally ​important that the opposition leader hoping to ‌be Britain's ​next prime minister went on his online show, while former US Vice President Al Gore was happy to be interviewed by him. A comedian and presenter turned Hollywood actor and ‌then unlikely political activist, Brand was one of the most recognisable and sought-after figures in the British entertainment world from the late 2000s until the mid-2010s.

Brand conviction shines light on entertainment industry's culture of silence

Russell Brand's conviction for sex crimes has renewed scrutiny of how ‌Britain's entertainment industry has treated high-profile performers accused of abusing their power, with some women saying they feared speaking ‌out could damage their careers. The British comedian and actor was convicted on Thursday of one count of rape and three sexual assaults near the height of his fame in the mid-2000s, when he worked for Channel 4 and the BBC. Three of the four victims had worked in the media industry.

Skydance ⁠names Marvel ​veteran Latcham to lead DC ⁠Studios, replacing Gunn and Safran

Skydance is replacing DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran with former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham as it overhauls its ⁠superhero business following the Warner Bros acquisition. Latcham will take over on December 1 and lead DC's film, television and animation slate, overseeing its creative ​pipeline, production, talent and strategy.

Media industry still has a problem with sexual abuse, UK minister says

Britain's culture minister, ⁠Lisa Nandy, said on Sunday there was still a problem with sexual abuse in the media industry after Russell Brand, once a high-profile comedian and actor, ⁠was convicted ​of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three more. Brand's conviction on Thursday renewed scrutiny of how Britain's entertainment industry has treated well-known performers accused of abusing their power, with some women saying they feared speaking out could harm their ⁠careers.

The rise and fall of Russell Brand

Russell Brand was once considered so culturally important that the opposition leader hoping to ⁠be Britain's next prime minister went ⁠on his online show, while former US Vice President Al Gore was happy to be interviewed by him. A comedian and presenter turned Hollywood actor and then unlikely political activist, Brand was ‌one of the ‌most recognisable and sought-after figures in the British entertainment world from ​the late 2000s until the mid-2010s.