Russell Brand sued for £220,000 by publishers after failing to write two books

The actor and comedian, 49, is the author of a number of bestsellers dating back to his 2007 memoir My Booky Wook, which was published by Hodder & Stoughton.

His two most recent works were both published by Pan Macmillan: 2017’s Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions and 2019’s Mentors: How to Help and be Helped.

The Times reports that, according to court documents, in January 2021 Brand’s company Pablo Diablo’s Legitimate Business Firm Ltd signed a deal with Pan Macmillan with a £575,000 advance for two further “original literary works of non-fiction”.

The first book was due by May 2021 and the second before the end of that year, but neither had been delivered by September 2023 when the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into a string of sexual assault allegations made against Brand. The comedian has vehemently denied the allegations and said all of his relationships have been “consensual”.

At that point, a representative for Brand reportedly told the…