Latest news with #wellnessfestival
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Russell Brand's wellness festival canceled amid rape charges
's 'Community 2025' wellness festival has been quietly canceled, with ticketing pages now dead and vendors advising customers to seek refunds. The three-day event, which was due to take place this July, had sold hundreds of tickets despite the comic-turned-born-again-Christian facing serious criminal charges. Brand, 49, has been charged with rape, indecent assault and sexual assault in relation to allegations from four women, dating between 1999 and 2005. He appeared in court in the UK earlier this month for the first time. Spots at Brand's wellness event were priced up to $216, with cheaper 'early crow' and 'early bird' tickets - costing between £160 and $250 - snapped up months ago by fans. Brand's website described the event as: 'Community is about personal awakening and social change. 'Russell Brand and friends will be back for 3 days of camping, conversation on spirituality, wellness, healthy living and our environment.' The program was set to include yoga, jiujitsu, musical performances, and massage and meditation sessions run by holistic healers. Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher, was also billed as a speaker. In an environmental appeal on the site, Brand urged guests to avoid driving alone: 'Audience travel is typically the largest part of an event's carbon footprint. Please consider a lower-carbon travel route: public transport, shuttle bus, coach or if you're driving, fill your car with passengers.' A similar festival took place in Hay-on-Wye in 2023, as part of Brand's continued transformation from comedian and provocateur to self-styled spiritual guide and wellness advocate. No formal announcement has yet been made on Brand's personal website or social media accounts. The cancelation follows legal proceedings against the comedian and podcast host, who appeared in court earlier this month facing multiple charges of rape and sexual assault. Brand is accused of offenses against four women, including rape, indecent assault and oral rape, spanning from 1999 to 2005. Prosecutor Dhadda told Westminster Magistrates Court that one of the alleged incidents occurred in a hotel room following a Labour Party Conference event in Bournemouth in 1999. 'He pushed her on to the bed, pulled down her trousers and knickers and he raped her. He left her with an email address,' the court heard. Another woman accused Brand of trying to drag her into a male toilet at a television studio, while two further alleged victims have also come forward. Brand, who is represented by Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky - the barrister who successfully defended Kevin Spacey in 2023 - has denied all charges. In a video posted to his X account earlier this year, he said: 'I welcome the opportunity to prove my innocence.' Brand previously stated all of his sexual encounters had been consensual. Brand restyled himself from comic provocateur to wellness guru and spiritual guide, attracting followers through his podcast, YouTube channel, and live events. He now lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, with his wife Laura and their three children. The TV and film star was married to Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012. He has claimed he is being 'attacked' and 'shut down' by British authorities, following a 13-month police investigation triggered by a joint Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches expose. Brand was interviewed under caution three times before being formally charged last month. He remains on bail ahead of his next court appearance on May 30.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Russell Brand Suffers Major Setback As His Wellness Festival Gets Canceled Amid Rape Charges
Russell Brand is reportedly no longer hosting a 2025 "Community" wellness festival, which was slated for July. According to reports, the three-day event was quietly canceled, even though some tickets had already sold out to hundreds of eager participants. The decision to cancel the program comes as the comedian faces legal troubles. Russell Brand has been accused of serious offenses by four women, with the alleged incidents occurring between 1999 and 2005. In July, embattled comedian Russell Brand was set to host a three-day wellness event that would involve "camping, conversation on spirituality, wellness, healthy living, and our environment." Hundreds of tickets to the event had already sold out to intending participants, with some priced as high as £210, although some early birds got them for £160. Now, reports obtained by the Daily Mail reveal that the program has been quietly canceled, and links to the ticket pages are now defunct. "Please note: this event has now been cancelled, more details may be contained in the event text below. If you have purchased tickets for this event, then please contact us on 0121 472 6688 or email refunds@ read a cancellation notice from one of the ticketing platforms. Despite the notice indicating that the event will no longer be happening, Brand has yet to officially announce the decision on his social media pages or website. In the meantime, the comedian has been occupied with his personal legal troubles with regard to multiple sexual accusations from his heyday in the entertainment industry. On April 4, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that they had charged Russell with h rape, indecent assault, oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault related to accusations from four women. "In 1999 a woman was raped in the Bournemouth area," read the statement from the authorities. "In 2001, a woman was indecently assaulted in the Westminster area of London. In 2004 a woman was orally raped and sexually assaulted in the Westminster area of London. Between 2004 and 2005, a woman was sexually assaulted in the Westminster area of London." At the time, the authorities also urged anyone "affected by this case by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward." With regard to the charges, the comedian had a first hearing earlier this month, during which he was granted bail. At the time, the charges against him were read out, which he listened to without showing any visible emotion. Suki Dhadda, the lead prosecutor in the case, also shared more details about the accusations. According to the New York Times, she claimed that one of the women accused Brand of raping her in a hotel room during a British Labour Party conference in 1999, while another alleged that the comedian orally raped her in a bathroom stall at a party. The third woman accused Brand of kissing her without consent and aggressively pressing his hand against her breast and buttocks. At the end of the hearing, the case was referred to the Crown Court, with Brand scheduled to appear there on May 30. While Brand is yet to formally enter any plea, he has already denied the charges on a number of occasions. His most recent denial occurred in April, when he released a lengthy video statement on his Instagram page. "We're very fortunate in a way to live in a time where there's so little trust in the British government," he began. "We're very fortunate, I suppose, that this is happening at a time where we know that the law has become a kind of weapon to be used against people." The comedian went on to describe his former self as a "fool," a "drug and sex addict," and even an "imbecile." However, he denied being a "rapist" and claimed that he has "never engaged in nonconsensual activity." Speaking further, the "Get Him to the Greek" actor expressed that he felt "grateful" for the opportunity to argue his innocence at his future trial. Brand's former roommate has now shared that the actor had a "different personality" take over when he did "something wrong." Mark Pinheiro sat down in an interview with ABC News Juju Chang where he made the disturbing revelation, adding that he "wasn't surprised" when the embattled actor was hit with five counts of assault and rape in the U.K. back in April. Recalling what it was like living with Brand, Pinheiro said, "If Russell knows he's doing something wrong, something naughty, something illegal, whatever it might be, if you challenge him about it afterward, this personality would take over, the eyes go dead, the voice goes monotone." "So, it was never him that was doing it, it was this personality that would take over, and that's the person that would be doing these things," per People.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Russell Brand's wellness festival cancelled amid rape charges
All three days of Russell Brand 's 2025 'Community' wellness festival have been quietly cancelled, with ticketing pages now dead and vendors advising customers to seek refunds. The festival, which was due to take place this July, had sold hundreds of tickets despite the comic-turned-born-again Christian facing serious criminal charges. Brand, 49, has been charged with rape, indecent assault and sexual assault in relation to allegations from four women, dating between 1999 and 2005. He appeared in court earlier this month for the first time. Spots at the three-day event were priced up to £210, with cheaper 'early crow' and 'early bird' tickets - costing between £160 and £185 - snapped up months ago by fans. Brand's website described the event as: 'Community is about personal awakening and social change. Russell Brand and friends will be back for 3 days of camping, conversation on spirituality, wellness, healthy living and our environment.' The programme was set to include yoga, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, musical performances, and massage and meditation sessions run by holistic healers. Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher, was also billed as a speaker. In an environmental appeal on the site, Brand urged guests to avoid driving alone: 'Audience travel is typically the largest part of an event's carbon footprint. Please consider a lower-carbon travel route: public transport, shuttle bus, coach or if you're driving, fill your car with passengers.' A similar festival took place in Hay-on-Wye in 2023, as part of Brand's continued transformation from comedian and provocateur to self-styled spiritual guide and wellness advocate. But links to the upcoming festival's ticket pages on The Ticket Sellers website are now defunct. A cancellation notice reads: 'Please note: this event has now been cancelled, more detail may be contained in the event text below. If you have purchased tickets for this event, then please contact us on 0121 472 6688 or email refunds@ No formal announcement has yet been made on Brand's personal website or social media accounts. The cancellation follows legal proceedings against the comedian and podcast host, who appeared in court earlier this month facing multiple charges of rape and sexual assault. Brand, 49, is accused of offences against four women, including rape, indecent assault and oral rape, spanning from 1999 to 2005. Prosecutor Dhadda told Westminster Magistrates Court that one of the alleged incidents occurred in a hotel room following a Labour Party Conference event in Bournemouth in 1999. 'He pushed her onto the bed, pulled down her trousers and knickers and he raped her. He left her with an email address,' the court heard. Another woman accused Brand of trying to drag her into a male toilet at a television studio, while two further alleged victims have also come forward. Brand, who is represented by Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky – the barrister who successfully defended Kevin Spacey in 2023 – has denied all charges. In a video posted to his X account earlier this year, he said: 'I welcome the opportunity to prove my innocence.' Brand previously stated all of his sexual encounters had been consensual. Brand has long rebranded himself from comic provocateur to wellness guru and spiritual guide, attracting followers through his podcast, YouTube channel, and live events. He previously held a similar festival in Hay-on-Wye in 2023. He now lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, with his wife Laura and their two daughters, Mabel and Peggy. The TV and film star was married to US pop singer Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012. He has claimed he is being 'attacked' and 'shut down' by British authorities, following a 13-month Met Police investigation triggered by a joint Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches exposé. Brand was interviewed under caution three times before being formally charged last month. He remains on bail ahead of his next court appearance on May 30.
Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Soneva Fushi Soul Festival is drawing alternative thinkers
If wellness festivals are the new music festivals, then Soul Festival at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives is like the VIP-est bit of Glastonbury. Not only can you see your heroes perform, but you can also hang out with them afterwards — for a whole five days. It's like boozing with Liam and Noel after the Oasis gig. And, just like Glastonbury, to score a pass you have to be either famous, loaded or a freeloader. I'm the only journalist to slip under the Soul Festival velvet rope and I'm pinching myself. Soneva Fushi is the castaway fantasy of its visionary owners, Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, who in 1995 pretty much invented the idea of barefoot luxury and the slogan 'No shoes, no news'. Since then, amid the hundreds of hotels that have sprung up on these pristine atolls, Fushiis still the place where movie stars, billionaire businessmen and their extended families merrily rub sun-kissed shoulders. • This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue The Shivdasanis have always invited extraordinary people to their island to share stories and experiences with guests: the astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the actor Stanley Tucci, the tennis player Jonas Bjorkman. But after Sonu was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2017, they zeroed in on wellbeing, turning the already expansive spa into a space for doctors to practise alternative and western medicine. Alongside ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, there are cutting-edge integrative medicine treatments, including auto-haemotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, cryotherapy, prolotherapy and plasma therapy. The (sugar-free) icing on the (gluten-free) wellness cake is the yearly Soul Festival, when for five days in October this tiny paradise island vibrates with big brains and big ideas. The speakers are wildly varied; for the latest edition they included the dazzling Jamie Wheal, the Pulitzer-nominated author, founder of the Flow Genome project and one of the world's leading experts in human performance, who has worked with US Navy Seals, athletes and Silicon Valley folk. He was joined by Eric Edmeades, the so-called architect of transformation who educates with levity while leaping about the sandy stage; Dr Nasha Winters, the integrative oncology expert and author, who speaks about metabolic health; and Robin Lim, a midwife, who blows us away with her life's work of saving and birthing babies in areas affected by climate change. The big draw is Zach Bush, a specialist in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care, who talks about the interconnectedness between the soil and human microbiome, the failing of agriculture and how all these puzzle pieces will determine the future of humanity and the world. The conversation lasts long after the lecture's last clap. Over beach picnics, cocktail parties and sushi dinners, the island is abuzz with swapping and sharing, connecting and challenging, plotting and networking. It feels like the modern version of an ancient trading city, maybe Petra or Venice. But instead of frankincense or spice, the booty is hope and healing. The guests are a hotchpotch of festival junkies, a chapter of Young Presidents' Organisation members, wellbeing investors and inventors peddling wares that include controversial stem-cell therapy, nasal breathing contraptions and a sound-frequency healing bed. There are plenty of sideshows. There's Marcel Hof (Wim's brother) leading the celebrated breathwork-ice-bath combo, ayurvedic pulse diagnosis and gong baths among the wafting palms. And then there's Sanctum: the physical and mindful euphoric-movement system (now famous for getting this year's Davos stiffs to 'raise their vibration'). Its effects are spectacular. As we speed-boat at sunrise to a spit of sand in the sea, we slip on headphones that connect us to the founder Luuk Melisse, who delivers instructions to a soaring soundtrack. He plays us like a fiddle, physically, mentally and emotionally. By the end, some are whooping, others are sobbing. Everyone is feeling something. You can't not be affected by hanging out in this heightened environment. For some, the effects are extreme. Six months post-festival, one attendee tells me the Soul Festival was so inspiring it was like chucking a firework into her life; she has developed a new business, has written a book and explains how 'during that week, my life's purpose became crystal clear. It's like I'm living on psychedelics. Now I can see things.' • The Maldives resort that will challenge your idea of the fly and flop So be warned: unlike a thumping Glasto hangie, the aftershocks of Soul Festival might well change your life. The next Soneva Fushi Soul Festival is from October 9 to 13. Seven nights, from October 9 to 17, staying in a one-bedroom Family Villa Suite with pool, half-board, costs from £9,999pp, based on two sharing, with return seaplane transfers and Etihad flights from London, There's nothing that breaks the ice like crawling around in cold, wet January grass with your bum in the air like a baboon, alongside 15 perfect strangers, writes Alice B-B. I'm at the inaugural Emotional Health Retreat weekend created by Dr Tamsin Lewis, a psychiatrist and the founder of Wellgevity, a longevity-focused functional and integrative medicine service based in London. This primal movement is both ego-shedding and unexpectedly fun. We're on the lawns of a grand private house in Richmond (with ozone pool, sauna, steam and cold plunge), lent to Lewis by its philanthropically minded owner. It's a fat gaff that must have witnessed plenty of riotous behaviour over the years; it was originally Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's hunting lodge and, more recently, home to the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood. Our leader is the charming and wildly energetic osteopath Boniface Verney-Carron. We follow him barefoot to encourage hormesis (what doesn't kill you makes you stronger), sniff the grass (to reconnect with nature and lower cortisol), run laps like loons (which gets the heart rate up), hold hands consciously (to properly connect with each other) and then enjoy feeling our heartbeat and breath (helping to connect with ourselves). • 44 health-boosting habits to feel better in 2025 We are living in an epidemic of loneliness and self-isolation, which Vivek Murthy, the former US surgeon general, says 'increases the risk for premature death'. Which is why, on these retreats, Lewis aims to create connectivity and eudaimonia. The latter is an internally driven sense of happiness resulting from an increase of oxytocin and serotonin (most commonly achieved through relating to others and nature — and the opposite of dopamine-chasing hedonism). Bioharmonising, this adaptable, balanced approach, is an alternative to the rigid, toxic biohacking popular with social media 'gurus'. Each retreat is focused on emotional health with a varying roster of therapists. This time there's Rob Rea, a breathwork coach to chief executives, founders, actors and the superyacht brigade, who leads the group in sessions accompanied by the pianist Rosey Chan. Joining him is the intimacy and relationship coach Chloe Mackintosh, who has our group staring into each other's eyes and practising consensual touch. It's a little confronting and my awkward self is hugely relieved to be partnered with my best girlfriend. Once we've gone beyond nervous giggling, her teaching is powerful and jolly useful. 'It's about increased eye contact, being better communicators whether that's for individuals, couples or teaching the art of relating within business,' she says. It's clear from the retreaters I chat to (some very broken, others dealing with relationship issues, others keen for increased intimacy) that this weekend has delivered — both as a reset and a springboard, serving up new tools, ideas and a new community (many of us swap details and make plans for further work with the therapists). 'Emotional health is the heartbeat of longevity,' Lewis says. 'With the right facilitators and environment it's like CTRL-ALT-DELETE for the nervous system — and the group setting magnifies it.' And what feels like a two-fingers-up to the biohacking bros, Lewis adds: 'Wellness is a skill, not a pill.' An emotional wellness retreat costs from £195 a day,
