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Own My Life CEO Natalie Collins speaks on BBC Radio 4 following Russell Brand conviction
Natalie Collins challenges Christian responses to sexual violence, celebrity and claims of redemption in an interview with BBC Radio 4.
Our CEO, Natalie Collins, appeared on BBC Radio 4 this morning, interviewed by Julie Etchingham, to discuss the conviction of Russell Brand and the responses within evangelical Christian communities to his claims of Christian conversion.
Brand was convicted on 5 November 2026 of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The verdict has prompted renewed scrutiny of the support and public endorsements he received from influential Christian figures following his highly publicised baptism in 2024, despite allegations of sexual violence already being in the public domain.
In her Radio 4 interview, Natalie brought together her experience as an expert in responding to men's violence, her leadership of Own My Life, and her perspective as a committed Christian who has spent much of her working life challenging misogyny, abuse and collusion with perpetrators within Christian communities.
When justice comes, the pain remains
Natalie's appearance follows the publication of her deeply personal article, When Justice Comes, the Pain Remains: Russell Brand, Evangelical Enablers and the Agony Behind a Guilty Verdict.
Writing in the immediate aftermath of Brand's conviction, Natalie explores the complicated emotions that can accompany a guilty verdict, particularly for those who have been sexually violated.
Drawing on her own experience of the abuse her ex-husband perpetrated and supporting others through a criminal justice process against him, she describes how a conviction can bring relief and a sense of hope, while simultaneously reopening trauma and bringing the pain of past experiences into sharp focus.
As Natalie writes, a guilty verdict does not undo the harm that has been done. Justice matters enormously, but it does not erase the trauma men cause or restore what has been taken from women.
Her article also examines the role of influential Christian men in helping to rehabilitate Brand's public image following his conversion claims. Natalie raises difficult questions about the eagerness with which some Christian leaders embraced his story, offered public endorsements and provided platforms, while allegations against him were already national news.
Faith, forgiveness and accountability
At the heart of this conversation is a question that reaches far beyond one high-profile case: what should faith communities do when men accused of violence claim to have changed?
As Natalie explains in her interview, Christianity has much to say about forgiveness, grace, redemption and the possibility of transformation. But these beliefs must never become a means of overlooking abuse, silencing those they have harmed or prioritising the reputation and restoration of powerful men over the safety and dignity of women and children.
There is a fundamental difference between celebrating a public declaration of faith and demonstrating genuine transformation through accountability, honesty and changed behaviour.
For Natalie, challenging these patterns is not separate from her Christian faith. It is an expression of it. Her work has consistently highlighted the ways misogyny and collusion with abusers become embedded in Christian cultures, and the urgent need for churches and Christian leaders to take men's violence seriously.
Why this matters to Own My Life
At Own My Life, we know that abuse is not simply an individual experience. It is also shaped by the attitudes, beliefs, relationships and systems that surround the women and children enduring what men do to them.
When communities excuse, minimise or overlook that violence, women can be left feeling disbelieved, abandoned and responsible for carrying the consequences of someone else's actions.
Equally, when influential people use their platforms to celebrate a man's apparent transformation without giving priority to the women he has harmed, the message they send can be devastating.
We believe that accountability matters. Women matter. And no man's status, reputation, religious identity or claims of personal transformation should place him beyond scrutiny.
Natalie's contribution to this national conversation reflects Own My Life's wider
commitment to challenging the attitudes and structures that enable abuse, and supporting women to understand their experiences, recognise the dynamics of abuse and reclaim their lives.
Listen to Natalie's BBC Radio 4 interview: Listen to the interview on YouTube
Read Natalie's article: When Justice Comes, the Pain Remains
We are proud that Natalie is bringing her expertise, experience and faith into conversations that challenge the normalisation of men's violence and call Christian communities to a more honest, accountable and woman-centred response.
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