'Blessed': Comedian and Actor Russell Brand Gets Baptized at River Thames
Comedian and actor Russell Brand recently shared he was baptized on Sunday months after expressing an interest in Christianity. “Yesterday I got baptized, and it was an incredible, profound experience,” Brand said in a video posted Monday. “Many aspects of it were very intimate and personal. The truth is this: as a person who has, in the past, taken many, many substances and always been disappointed with their inability to deliver the kind of tranquility and peace and even transcendence that I’ve always felt I’ve been looking for… something occurred in the process of baptism that was incredible; overwhelming.”
He also revealed his baptism took place at River Thames, which is located in Southern England.
“I felt changed. Transitioned,” he added.
According to The Daily Wire, Brand noted his life felt different following the baptism.
“I feel as if some new resource within me has switched on,” he said.
The actor pointed out that the response to getting baptized was either supportive or critical.
“This is new for me, I’m learning … but this is my path now,” Brand said. “And I already feel incredibly blessed, relieved, nourished, held. It’s been an incredible experience.”
“I’m so grateful to be surrendered in Christ,” he concluded.
In a video posted on Friday, Brand shared his intention of being baptized.
At the time, he contended that baptism was an “opportunity to die and be reborn.”
“An opportunity to leave the past behind and be reborn in Christ’s name, like it says in Galatians,” he said in a separate video shared on Friday. “That you can live as an enlightened and awakened person.”
@russellbrand I got baptised!!!! And…
♬ original sound - Russell Brand
On Monday, Brand shared a photo that appeared to have taken place after the ceremony.
The photo, which includes Brand hugging his dog, has the caption: “Blessed.”
In recent months, Brand has been hinting at an interest in Christianity. As of last December, he read several Christian books, including C.S. Lewis’ The Problem of Pain and Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life. He said that the books helped him prioritize his relationship with God.
“The reason I wear a cross is because Christianity and, in particular, the figure of Christ, are, it seems to me, inevitably becoming more important as I become more familiar with suffering, purpose, self, and not-self,” he said at the time.
He also shared a video in March discussing visits to churches of different denominations and asking his followers for their opinions on baptisms, The Christian Post reports.
During an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson last year, he said, “Like many desperate people, I need spirituality. I need God, or I cannot cope in this world. I need to believe in the best in people.” Acknowledging he “didn’t have enough self-discipline to resist the allure of stardom,” he said he “fell face-first into the glitter, and I’m only just pulling myself out now.”
Brand’s spiritual transformation follows amid a series of sexual allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to his movie career peak from 2006 to 2013. Brand, however, has denied the allegations, which argued that while the relationships were consensual, they were part of a wider pattern of inappropriate behavior.
The allegations have also led to the demonetization of his YouTube channel, which continues to be active today. He also posts on the alternative video hosting site Rumble and has nearly 15 followers on both X and Instagram.
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Amy Sussman / Staff
Video Courtesy: russellbrand via TikTok
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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Jeff Spicer/Stringer
Originally published April 29, 2024.
