Katharine McPhee didn’t think Russell Brand was trying to be malicious when he pulled her to sit on his lap during a 2013 interview with Jimmy Fallon interview, according to the Daily Mail.
After the clip went viral amid Brand’s recent sexual abuse allegations, the singer-songwriter stated, per the outlet, “This specific incident was over 10 years ago and it was harmless.”
Reps for McPhee, 39, did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
The “American Idol” alum’s comment comes after fans called out the uncomfortable moment, which happened when both Brand and McPhee appeared on “The Tonight Show” over a decade ago.
In the resurfaced clip, McPhee could be seen walking over to greet Fallon when Brand grabbed her arm and tugged her to sit on his lap.
He then proceeded to hug her from behind and grip her hips while she tried to wrestle away from him.
Despite her discomfort, he took things further by shouting, “For the Queen!” before bouncing her on his lap. Fallon begged the “Arthur” star to “stop” to no avail.
The uncomfortable clip resurfaced after multiple women accused the actor, now 48, of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.
The alleged incidents, which allegedly took place from 2006 to 2013, were included in an exposé published by the Sunday Times and a Channel 4 “Dispatches” TV special.
One of the unnamed accusers, who was in her thirties at the time, alleged that Brand raped her “against a wall” in his Los Angeles home in 2012 — just five months after his divorce from Katy Perry.
Meanwhile, a second accuser claimed she was just 16 — which is the legal age of consent in the UK —when she found herself in an “emotionally abusive and controlling” relationship with the then-31-year-old Brand.
After Brand learned her age, he allegedly said, “I don’t give a f–k if you’re 12 … I need to know where I stand legally.”
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Then, once the actor allegedly found out the minor was still a virgin, he allegedly replied, “‘Oh my God, my baby, my baby,’” and “cradled” her in his arms “like a child and was stroking [her] hair,” saying, “‘You’re like my little dolly.’”
Towards the end of their three-month relationship, the actor also allegedly “forced his penis down her throat” until she gagged. He allegedly wouldn’t get off of her until the victim punched him.
Before the exposé was even released, Brand released a lengthy video in which he denied the “litany of egregious and aggressive attacks.”
Since the allegations made headlines over the weekend, several disturbing old videos and comments from the actor have resurfaced online.
Back in 2013, the comedian appeared on Richard Herring’s “Leicester Square Theatre” podcast and described himself as a “sex narcissist” who became a “pretty comprehensive show-off.”
“Oh, I’ve raped someone once,” he told the audience (per the Daily Mail), adding, “and killed her after.”
The “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” star also joked that the ancient Greeks were “clever” for having sex with children while creating the foundations of modern math.
“I’ve done another triangle. I’m f–king a little kid. This is great. F–k the kid with the triangle,” he said in the since-deleted episode. “No, that’s too much.”
Since the accusations came to light, Brand’s comedy tour has been postponed.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
