Russell Brand begs fans for financial support, says he's 'victim of a conspiracy to silence him'

Russell Brand has asked fans to turn their moral support into financial support as he's feeling the pinch after being accused of raping and sexually assaulting four women, including a 16-year-old.

The scandal-scarred actor, 48, urged his followers to fork over $60 annually to become paying subscribers on Rumble - a video app that is a rival of YouTube, and is avowedly committed to free speech.

The brazen request came just hours after London's Metropolitan Police had launched a full-scale investigation into "a number of allegations of sexual offenses" against Brand, who has vehemently denied