At a MAHA summit in Washington, D.C., Russell Brand and Dr. Mehmet Oz made light of Brand hugging Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, prompting only muted laughter from the audience. Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to seven sexual‑offence charges in England, with a trial scheduled to begin October 12. Oz used the panel to argue that chronic illness — driven in part by obesity — accounts for a large share of U.S. health‑care spending. The nonprofit MAHA Center hosted the event, which also featured public figures such as Cheryl Hines and Mike Tyson.
Russell Brand and Dr. Oz Trade Jokes About Hugging Trump Cabinet Member at MAHA Summit as Brand Faces Multiple Sexual-Offence Charges
British comedian and actor Russell Brand and Dr. Mehmet Oz joked about hugging a female member of Donald Trump's Cabinet during a panel at a summit promoting the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement (CSPAN)
British comedian Russell Brand and Dr. Mehmet Oz exchanged a pair of awkward jokes about Brand hugging a female member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet while onstage at a panel for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) summit in Washington, D.C.
As Brand, 51, took the stage, Oz — administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — told the audience: "Russell Brand was backstage hugging the Secretary of Agriculture [Brooke Rollins]. Took MAHA to a whole new level." Brand responded dryly: "She initiated that contact, I shall make clear, doctor." Oz laughed, but audience reaction was muted.
Brand has faced multiple charges of rape and sexual assault in England since April 2025, stemming from incidents in the late 1990s and early 2000s (CSPAN)
Brand has been charged in England with multiple sexual offences dating to alleged incidents from the late 1990s through 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to each count. In April 2025 the Metropolitan Police announced five charges — including one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault — relating to incidents between 1999 and 2005 involving four women. In December 2025 the Crown Prosecution Service added two further charges — one count of rape and one count of sexual assault — tied to alleged incidents in 2009, bringing the total to seven charges. Brand is due to stand trial beginning October 12.
Following the initial charges, Brand posted a video to his social channels in April 2025 in which he said: "I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was, was a rapist. I've never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes."
Brand, who has pleaded not guilty to every charge against him, is reportedly set to face trial starting on October 12 (AFP via Getty Images)
The MAHA panel that included Brand and Oz also featured Dan Brillman, Oz's deputy at CMS. During the discussion Oz argued that chronic illness is the primary driver of U.S. health-care costs: "There is no way to make health care costs affordable if what's driving at least 75 percent of it is chronic illness," he said, adding that higher obesity rates help explain why U.S. per‑person health spending can exceed that of some other countries.
The MAHA summit is organized by the nonprofit MAHA Center, not a government agency. Other participants at the event included actress Cheryl Hines and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and served time in prison.
Context and tone: The exchange between Brand and Oz drew attention because of the nature of the jokes and the serious criminal allegations Brand faces. The event highlighted the tension that can arise when public figures accused of sexual offences appear in prominent forums and use humor that references those allegations.
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