Embattled comic actor Russell Brand faced a firestorm of online criticism, but also support, after a lengthy, "awkward" search for a Bible passage on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" went viral.
"Can I go back to asking a question about your Bible?" Morgan asked, referencing one that Brand had brought onto the set of the show.
"Yes, if you want to," Brand replied.
Morgan then asked if the Bible was the same one he brought into his sexual assault and rape hearing.
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When Brand confirmed the question, Morgan asked another:
"What was your thinking of taking it into court, and what you were seeing, looking at some passages, what were the relevant passages for you?"
"Thank you for asking me," Brand responded.
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He proceeded to thumb through the Bible's pages, searching for a verse from Isaiah, but to no immediate avail.
Silence lingered as his search continued for approximately a minute and a half. Morgan said nothing while Brand repeatedly explained that the verse he sought came from the Old Testament book.
As he ended his search, Brand settled on a different verse from Isaiah chapter 12.
"I can't actually find the verse that I had that day, but this is good enough," he said, proceeding to read Isaiah 12:1-2.
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"I will praise you Lord, although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me," he said.
"Surely God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself is my strength and my defense."
The incident caused a stir on X, with one user accusing Brand of using the Bible as a "PR shield."
"It's a miracle of biblical proportions," the user wrote.
"For decades, Russell Brand played the high priest of hedonism and ego, but the moment the law comes knocking for rape and systemic abuse, he suddenly finds Jesus. This 'conversion' doesn't smell of incense; it reeks of pure, unadulterated desperation..."
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"I haven't laughed so hard from someone's bulls---," said another, tacking on a trio of laughing emojis.
A third added in part, "The clip is pretty awkward to watch... it does raise fair questions about public faith declarations during personal crises. What do you think-genuine spiritual moment or convenient optics?"
A fourth X user called the incident a "painful watch," and another chimed in with, "Lmao embarrassing. Another example of how people use religion as a prop."
Others, including many Christians, rushed to Brand's defense amid the mockery, including some who said they also cannot easily locate book, chapter and verse upon request.
"I pray Russell doesn't take any of the criticism to heart. he's trying to figure things out while having all eyes on him. immense pressure for the guy who chose the path less wandered," one supporter wrote.
"This is disingenuous!" said another.
"I am reading the Bible for the first time. There are verses that touch and hold but as a new believer I do not know exactly [which] verse. I can still be a follower and believer but can't recite chapter and verse."
Another comment, translated from Spanish, asked, "Do the media really have the right to judge someone's morality before a judge does?"
One commenter defended Brand by encouraging viewers to watch the entire episode, pointing out that he quoted another verse by memory. That was Isaiah 43:19: "See, I am doing a new thing."
"Writing in Bibles is TINY. Russell's faith may be the only thing keeping him going. Think of his wife and small children. Think of all the people he helped get off drugs. Wait for the jury to decide his fate. Let's not break God's commandments by bearing false witness. CONTEXT matters."
The incident comes as Brand faces a flurry of criticism over sexual assault allegations.
Brand recently admitted that he had what he called "exploitative" but consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl.
