Consent is one of them.
The recent Russell Brand case has once again brought sexual consent, abuse of power and the treatment of women into the headlines. Following his conviction last week and sentencing to ten years and six months in prison on Monday, it is a subject that I think deserves more than a passing conversation.
For years, we’ve heard the phrase ‘no means no’. But surely, in 2026, we should be having a much clearer conversation than that?
Consent isn’t simply the absence of a fight, a refusal, or someone physically pushing you away. It isn’t silence. It isn’t somebody freezing because they’re frightened, uncomfortable or unsure how to react. And it certainly isn’t something that can be assumed because two people have been intimate before.
What particularly strikes me about cases involving people in positions of fame, influence, or authority is the imbalance of power. When someone has status, money, confidence or a platform, it can make it incredibly difficult for another person to speak up. And when they eventually do, they can find themselves facing questions about why they didn’t report it sooner, why they didn’t fight back or why they didn’t simply walk away.
But why are we still asking those questions?
And this isn’t just a conversation about celebrities or headline-grabbing court cases. Consent matters in everyday relationships, dating, marriages, friendships and every interaction in between. It matters regardless of someone’s age, gender, relationship status or how long they’ve known another person. We also need to teach younger generations that consent isn’t an awkward box to tick. It’s about respect, communication and understanding that nobody is entitled to somebody else’s body.
Fame doesn’t change the rules. Being in a relationship doesn’t change the rules. And having said yes once doesn’t mean saying yes forever.
It’s really quite simple: if it’s not freely given, it’s not consent. And surely that’s something we should all be able to agree on?
Author: Amie
Author of Amie's World, Amie works on Hartlepool Life's social media pages, covers advertorials, writes the occasional feature and news story!