Actor Russell Brand shared an announcement on Instagram that he is “getting baptized.” He called the experience and leaning into Christianity “very exciting.”

His baptism was scheduled for Sunday April 28, 2024. The comments on his Instagram post were extreme in both directions with some followers “begging” him not to get baptized and others sharing “I’m getting baptized too!!”

TMZ pointed out something they thought was particularly interesting when they listened to Brand’s explanation of baptism. In the video, he says, “It’s an opportunity to die and be reborn. An opportunity to leave the past behind and be reborn.”

What TMZ pointed out is that it’s easy to see why Brand would want to “leave the past behind” considering the sexual assault allegations that Brand was accused of about seven months ago.

Brand spoke briefly about the allegations on his YouTube channel in a video in which he called himself “the news.” The news was that there were what he called “attacks” against him. One of the attacks came “from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper.”

Brand didn’t go into detail about everything the companies accused him of, but the did share that the “attacks” included “some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.” He also shared, “I feel like I am being attacked, and plainly they are working very closely together.”

According to Christianity.com, baptism isn’t necessarily just “an opportunity to leave the past behind you.” Instead, it is “primarily of personal, public identification with Jesus Christ.” The website adds that with baptism “you are confessing the faith without using any words at all.”

Do you think Brand chose to get baptized as a way to try to put the allegations behind him and start fresh? Does it surprise you that Brand seems to be leaning in to Christianity?