A photograph showing Russell Brand portraying Jesus Christ in a recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper has resurfaced, drawing attention to his relationship with senior figures at the New Statesman during his guest editorship in 2013.
The comedian is positioned at the centre of the image, with light illuminating his face as the magazine’s editorial team sit around him in positions resembling Christ’s disciples.
The photograph has been cited as an illustration of the admiration Brand received from sections of the political Left before the allegations and subsequent criminal conviction that have since brought his reputation under scrutiny.
Senior Magazine Figures Joined Brand in the Photograph
Among those seated around Brand were Jason Cowley, who was editor of the New Statesman at the time, and Helen Lewis, then the magazine’s deputy editor and a former commissioning editor at the Daily Mail.
Jemima Khan, who was dating Brand around that period, was also pictured at the far end of the table.
Brand had been invited to guest-edit the publication in 2013, when Khan held the position of associate editor.
Brand Explained Why He Accepted the Invitation
In his opening contribution to the magazine, Brand openly acknowledged that his decision to take on the guest-editing role was influenced by Khan.
He began the piece with the statement: “When I was asked to edit an issue of the New Statesman I said yes because it was a beautiful woman asking me.”
The edition was titled Revolution of Consciousness and featured further remarks from Brand about women and physical attraction.
In another passage, he described a “lilo of thighs in an ocean filled with honey” and declared that he “bowed [to] no one in my appreciation of female beauty”.
Kate Maltby Raises Questions About the Photograph
Writer Kate Maltby shared the photograph on social media, claiming that it had previously been removed from the internet.
She also alleged that she had been warned against criticising Brand’s guest-editing appearance if she wanted to continue receiving commissions from the publication.
The resurfaced image has renewed attention on the magazine’s decision to give Brand an editorial platform and the prominent position he occupied among its staff and associates at the time.
